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Nasal Cautery

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Nasal Cautery Introduction

Nasal cautery is a simple treatment used to help stop frequent nosebleeds (also called epistaxis). It works by sealing off the tiny blood vessels in your nose that are causing the bleeding.

Reasons for surgery

The main reason to have nasal cautery is to treat repeated or heavy nosebleeds that don’t stop easily on their own.

Risks & complications

As with any medical treatment, there are some possible risks, although serious problems are rare:

  • The bleeding may not stop completely, and you may need more than one treatment
  • A small hole (called a perforation) could form in the wall between your nostrils
  • Scar tissue may form inside your nose, which can cause it to feel blocked

Alternative treatments

Certain creams and ointments can be used in milder cases or post treatment. These usually keep your nose moist and may help shrink blood vessels to reduce bleeding.

It is important for patients with high blood pressure or those on blood thinning medications (eg aspirin, warfarin, clopidogrel, rivaroxaban etc) to seek advice from their GP regarding optimisation.

Dr Phillips will talk with you about what might be causing your nosebleeds and suggest the best treatment for your situation.

Pre-operative instructions

If you take blood-thinning medications, it’s important to talk to Dr Phillips, as you may need to stop them for a short time before the procedure.

  • Local anaesthetic: If the procedure is done while you’re awake, no special preparation is needed.
  • General anaesthetic: If you’re having a general anaesthetic (where you are asleep), follow the instructions given to you by your anaesthetist or hospital. If you have questions, contact them or Dr Phillips.

Procedure details

Nasal cautery can be done in a few different ways:

  • With local anaesthetic (while you’re awake): Cotton wool soaked in an anaesthetic solution (children) or local anaesthetic injection (adults) is given and Dr Phillips will apply either a chemical (like silver nitrate) for children or use electrocautery in adults to seal the bleeding vessel.
  • With general anaesthetic (while you’re asleep): More advanced techniques like electrocautery are used

Dr Phillips will explain which method is best for you.

Post-operative care & recovery

Going Back to Normal Activities

  • Most people recover quickly.
  • Children should stay home from school or daycare for 1–2 days.
  • Adults usually return to work within 1–2 days after the procedure.
  • Avoid heavy lifting, contact sports, rough play, or blowing your nose hard for 2 weeks.

Pain Relief

  • You may feel a bit of discomfort in your nose.
  • Panadol (Paracetamol) or Nurofen (Ibuprofen) usually works well.
  • Follow the dosage instructions on the label.
  • If the pain is worse than expected, please contact our clinic.

Taking Care of Your Nose

  • Your nose may feel blocked or swollen. This can last up to 4 weeks.
  • In most cases, Dr Phillips recommends a barrier ointment (e.g. Paw paw ointment, Vaseline) or will prescribe a script to be used in the nose to the affected area morning and night for two weeks
  • Use a saline nasal spray (like FESS) 4 times a day to help it heal.
  • Keep using the spray until your follow-up visit.

Eating and Drinking

  • There are no special food or drink restrictions after nasal cautery.

Fever

  • A mild fever (up to 38.5°C) in the first 24 hours is normal.
  • If the fever lasts longer or goes above 38.5°C, please contact our clinic.

Bleeding or Discharge

  • A small amount of bleeding can happen.
  • Apply gentle pressure to your nose – it usually stops within a few minutes.
  • If bleeding is heavy or doesn’t stop after 20 minutes, go to the Emergency Department or call our clinic.

Follow-up instructions

A follow-up visit or phone call is usually scheduled about 4 weeks after your procedure. Or in cases of bilateral nose bleeds in children under local anaesthetic often a repeat face to face review is required in 6-8 weeks to do address the other side.

Related conditions

Book a consultation

If you’d like to discuss this procedure or explore suitable treatment options, please get in touch with Dr Nicholas Phillips’ clinic.

Book an appointment
Australian and New Zealand Rhinologic Society
Australian Society of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery
Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
International Surgical Sleep Society & Australasian Sleep Society
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