A New Modification of Total Extracorporeal Septoplasty: The Shark-Tooth Technique

Extracorporeal septoplasty was proposed for correcting the severely deviated nasal septum caused by insufficient outcomes of the conventional septoplasty techniques. This technique is superior in terms of accessibility and visibility of the nasal septum. However, it imposes a risk of creating a saddle nose deformity by disrupting the keystone area. The authors aimed to prevent this deformity by developing a new modified extracorporeal septoplasty technique called the "shark-tooth technique." This technique is based on the retention of a small triangular segment of the cartilaginous septum on the bony septum, resembling a shark tooth. By functioning as a mark, the shark tooth ensures precise repositioning of the septum. It was thought that, consequently, the septal height would be preserved, thereby maintaining the dorsal profile.