Thirty-five patients undergoing a functional septoplasty for nasal obstruction and pathologically high nasal airway resistance were followed up twice, at about 9 months and 9 years postoperatively. The resistance of the preoperatively narrower cavity was reduced at both check-ups, while that of the preoperatively wider cavity, and of the total nose, was lower at the late follow-up than at the early one. Seventy-four per cent of the patients were satisfied with the operation at the first follow-up, and 69% at the later one. Preoperatively, all the patients suffered from nasal obstruction. Postoperatively, at the 9-month follow-up 51% were subjectively free from obstruction, but only 26% were symptom-free at 9 years. Obviously, then, both objective and subjective changes may occur later than 9 months after functional septoplasty.

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Different inflationary (e.g. Valsalva's) and deflationary (e.g. sniffing) manoeuvres were studied in 58 children and 61 adults, all otologically healthy, in order to evaluate qualitatively and quantitatively the pressure opening and closing functions of the Eustachian tube. Only 71% of the normal children could voluntarily increase the middle ear pressure compared with 100% of the adults. The corresponding figures for evacuating the middle ear by deflation were 24% and 34%, respectively. The rhinopharyngeal pressure levels during the manoeuvres were age-dependent and decided the response rate in children. Tubal factors also determined the response rate since low pressure opening and closing levels were related to successful deflation. Negative middle ear pressures found in the normal children were due to poor muscular opening function of the tube rather than successful deflation. The pressure closing level seems to be a reliable tool in grading tubal closing ability.