Comparison of Conventional Septoplasty and Endoscopic Septoplasty in Treating Deviated Nasal Septum: A Quasi Experimental Study

Objective: To compare postoperative symptom relief and complication rate among patients undergoing endoscopic and conventional septoplasty. Study Design: Quasi experimental study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Ear Nose and Throat, Combined Military Hospital, Rawalpindi Pakistan, from Apr to Sep 2025. Methodology: This study enrolled 150 participants via consecutive sampling over a period of 6 months. Patients were assigned by sealed envelope technique to either Group-A (endoscopic septoplasty) or Group-B (conventional septoplasty). Subjective evaluation was performed using the NOSE questionnaire, while objective assessment was conducted through nasal endoscopy; once before the procedure and then one month later. Results: Out of 150 participants, 119(79.3%) were male and 31(20.7%) were female. Mean age was 32.41±8.23 years. In Group-A, the mean total NOSE score declined from 86.87±4.70 prior to surgery to 17.53±6.39 following the procedure (p<0.001), indicating a significant improvement that exceeded the results observed in Group-B participants. A higher percentage (62.7%) of patients in Group-A had no postoperative complications, while residual deviation was more common in Group-B (38.7%), indicating better surgical outcomes and fewer complications in Group-A. Conclusion: Patients treated with endoscopic septoplasty had greater improvements in postoperative NOSE scores and better clinical outcomes. In addition, the endoscopic group had a lower complication rate.