This study compared two different nasal dressings after septoplasty.
Seventy-six patients acted as their own controls by having one nostril packed with Merocel and one nostril somewhat improbably with Cutanplast Anal (gelatin sponge).
It seems that the gelatin sponge was equally effective at preventing bleeding but was better tolerated by patients. Interestingly the authors chose to remove the gelatin sponge at the same time as removing the Merocel even though it was dissolvable. As this required suction, this may have undermined the ‘blinding’ of the patients. This study supports the findings of several papers comparing an absorbable dressing such as Nasopore versus Merocel. These also suggest that absorbable dressings are less painful, better tolerated and associated with favourable patient satisfaction when compared to removable dressings.
