Evaluating the Necessity of Pediatric Septal Surgery and Septorhinoplasty for Nasal Obstruction: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Abstract

Background: Historically, corrective septal surgery in pediatric patients with nasal obstruction has been approached cautiously due to concerns about its potential impact on nasal and midfacial growth. The fear of disrupting developing facial structures has contributed to the reluctance in performing such procedures on children. Methods: Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, this systematic review focused exclusively on full-text articles published in English between 2014 and 2024. Result: The study conducted a comprehensive review of over 200 publications sourced from reputable databases, including ScienceDirect, SagePub, and PubMed. Following an initial screening, five publications were identified as warranting more in-depth analysis. Consequently, a thorough review of these selected studies was performed to ensure a detailed and rigorous evaluation. Conclusion: The revision surgery rate was 5.6%, while the overall complication rate was 7.8%. Despite these findings, no pediatric-specific outcome measure has been established for evaluating surgical success. While the revision and complication rates were low, larger prospective studies with extended follow-up periods are necessary to better understand the optimal timing and approach to nasal surgery in the pediatric population.