Berrylin J. Ferguson, M.D. Pittsburgh, PA
The nasal septum is the partition that separates the right side of the nose from the left side of the nose. It is made of cartilage (in the front) and very thin bone (in the back), covered by a mucosal lining. Almost everyone has a slight deflection or deviation of the septum. It is only when the septum is so crooked (or deviated) that it causes nasal airway obstruction that the person may benefit from an operation to straighten the septum.
sinus-faq07-drhwang
Peter Hwang, M.D. Palo Alto, CA
The nasal septum is a wall of bone and cartilage that runs down the middle of the nasal cavity, separating the nasal passage into two equal sides. Trauma or congenital factors may cause the septum to buckle and become crooked, or "deviated." A deviated septum can cause obstructed breathing and can also predispose to sinus infections. A deviated septum can be readily corrected by a surgical procedure called septoplasty (often performed at the same time as sinus surgery).
