Q: I had a boil in my nose 3 years ago. I consulted an ENT surgeon who examined my nose and said that I had a deviated septum and was not breathing properly. I hadn't experienced any difficulty in breathing, but realised this only after the doctor raised it. The doctor said that the deviation could be due to a fall I had in childhood. He convinced me that it was a small one hour surgery and would require hospitalisation for a day. He did not inform me about any complications. A few months after the operation, I experienced a whistling noise every time I breathed. When I looked into the mirror, I realized that I had a hole in the nose. I went back to the doctor who said that it was not a matter of concern and if required, she would plug it for me. The whistling noise stopped after a while and I didn't get the hole plugged. Of late I have been getting frequent throat infections. My throat has been sensitive since childhood. Any change in water or weather would lead to inflammation of the tonsils. Am I getting these frequent throat infections due to the hole in my septum? Will the hole get bigger over the years?

A:You seem to have developed a perforation of the septum, which is a recognised complication of septoplasty, and would have been explained to you before surgery. The whistling sound could be due to that. But it should not cause any other significant complications. As far as the throat infections are concerned, the perforation itself is not a cause. If you have coexisting sinusitis, or gastro-esophageal reflux, it may cause recurrent sore throats, and should be looked into.