Rationale: Nasal septal perforation repair presents a challenging problem to the otolaryngologist. Numerous surgical techniques for the repair of this nasal defect have been described. Although the literature describes great success using the advancement of local mucoperichondrial flaps, it is often difficult to reproduce these results, especially for the closure of larger defects.
Objective: To describe both the technique and the results of the senior author (P.J.B.), using a pedicled inferior turbinate flap for the closure of a nasal septal perforation in 20 patients.
Design: A retrospective case series of 20 consecutive adult patients treated from 2000 to 2005 inclusive.
Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted of the 20 patients treated at the local tertiary care centre over the 5-year period.
Results: In 20 consecutive patients who were operated on by the senior author, the minimum perforation size was 1x1 cm and the average area of the perforation was 2.4 cm2. Overall, 80% of the perforations treated in this series were completely closed.
Conclusion: The pedicled inferior turbinate flap is a valuable technique for the closure of a nasal septal perforation.