Bad sinus pressure after Septoplasty & turbinate reduction

  I just had a Septoplasty & turbinate reduction surgery on 02/11/08, I’m still in some pain and sleeping has been hell, except for last night I did get some sleep. I got my stints pulled out yesterday and I am able to breath good thru one nostril in & out but the other one I can only breath in not out. My doctor said I could blow my nose just not hard. So their is the problem I cant clear out my left nostril except for sniffing and I am getting a lot of sinus pressure (is that normal and will it go away) which makes sleeping very hard.  I can handle a stuffy nose as long as there is no sinus pressure and I don’t want to take pseudo ephedrine at night cause it will keep me up. Any suggestions on my situation would be appreciated. My doctor is not in on the weekend that is why I didn’t ask him. Thanks

[asiv]

Hi there,im interested in how you progress as im having this surgery at the end of the month.I hope you get some help on this forum and i hope you have a speedy recovery.Pls keep us updated.

[vaccaro]

Hi,
This is the same surgery I am suppose to have in a couple weeks as well.  I am wondering if you were swollen on both sides of the nose before the surgery or just one.  I have a mild deviation and my left turbinate  is swollen.  The ENT said that I have more room due to the deviation on the right side of my nsoe and this is why I am not blocked on that side. However, when he does the septo, he has to also do turbinate surgery on that side b/c of moving the septum back to the middle of my nose. He also said he would have to fracture my bone in the inferior turbinates and maybe even the middle turbinate.  I was wondering if you had surgery on just the inferior turbinate or also the middle one too and how they did yours.  My middle turbinate appears swollen also.  I can feel swelling up high on my nose (near the bridge). When I lye down at night I have to lay on my right side, this helps w/trying to keep the swelling at a minimum on the left side of my nose so I can sleep (what little I get most of the time). I can feel my turbinate fill up and sometimes even hear it.  Did you ever experience this feeling?  I have heard good and bad things about this surgery...I know it sounds scary and I am scared...Hopefully this will be the answer we have all been looking for - I hope. I know how aggravating this is.  I have been going thru this since 2005. In April 2006 I had the coblation procedure done (quick in-office radiofrequency where they take out swollen tissue in inferior turbinates).  I did fine for 19 months utnil I caught a cold this past Thanksgiving.   Antibiotics nor prednisone helps for very long. I am on Nasacort and I don't think this helps either. This is why I have decided to do the surgery. I know this is long winded but it seems I know no one else who has this crazy problem.  I look forward to hearing back from you about your surgery...THANKS!

[vaccaro]

I forgot to tell you one thing.  Sometimes when I get really swollen and stuffed up to the point I cannot breathe, I use Mucinex.  This helps to loosen any mucous  (including in your nose) and it really helps me.  you could try it but you might ask your doctor first.

[vaccaro]

Hi,
Just wanting to know how you are doing thus far????  Hopefully you are doing better...I am due to have this surgery soon too, let us know how you are.  Much Thanks!

[brokenbytears]

Hello guys!
I am a 17 year old lad who had this operation last Saturday (1st March) and to be fair I wish I had never had bothered, the first night after was pretty bad, which was expected then the day after things just started going down hill, I have now got an infection and I am on Antibiotics 4 a day, I am suffering from sickness, ear/head ache, throat very raw everything just is so bad! Very swollen nose and stuffed up which is expected for a few weeks, i'm in a lot of pain, thinking of going back into hospital.. i'll let you know how it goes. x

[kmac221]

I had a septoplasty and turbinate reduction on Feb. 14th, 2008.  I am a 33 year old male and always had problems with sinus infections, poor sleep, difficulty breathing, etc.  I finally saw an ENT that recommended the procedures mentioned above because over a very deviated septum and a enlarged turbinate.  I had the same sentiments as brokenbytears a few days after the procedure.  The third and fourth days after the surgery were pretty rough.  The I had a Lortab prescription for the pain that did the trick for me.  The sore throat from the breathing tube put me on a diet of Slim Fast and room temperature chicken broth.  Ask your doc for a Rx of "Magic Mouthwash."  You gargle and swallow a few table spoons of this stuff and your throat will feel remarkably better.  Why they don't send you home from the hospital with this is beyond me.  I had to call my doc and complain first before I got the script.  

My biggest complaint was resisting the urge to blow my nose the first week after surgery.  The congestion from all of the debris/dried blood and mucous is terribly uncomfortable.  My stents were removed the very next day after my surgery.  I had a follow up appt. 10 days later.  At that appointment, my doc told me to use a nasal irrigation bottle (Neil Med...found in any drug store) twice a day.  It sounds bad but that thing was great...8 oz's of warm saline water shot up both notrils.  It feels very strange, it took me a couple of times to get used to it but it did wonders breaking up the congestion and clearing my sinuses.  The carnage that comes out of your nose is not for a weak stomach!  

It's been just over three weeks since my surgery.  My pain subsided after about 7-10 days.  I still have a slight feeling of sinus pressure, but even then, I can breathe better through my nose.  I'm happy I had the procedure.    

[lisa593]

I had a turbunate reduction and tonsillectomy 8 weeks ago.  My tonsillectomy cleared up.  But, I am struggling with the turbunate reduction. I have dryness, burning, and feeling of the nose being too open.  Is there any support in Colorado?

[amerka]

This was my first surgery. I had a septo plasty and turbante reduction on april 16th and it is now march 16th and i had another doc appt today, i still am having some crusting up in my nose and past out in the doc office from him digging around in my nose... im still in alot pain from all of it...
right after the surgery it wasnt to bad the one thing i did remember was the pain from the tube in my throat, and getting sick from the sleepy meds....
the next day i went to get the packing taking out that was so uncomfortable!!! Oh and im constantly grossing everyone out when the nasty things come out of my nose.... i cant help it...LOL.... i have had an ear infection from this whole thing as well....
To be totally honest i wish i would have never done this... maybe it was my doctor... he isnt very people friendly, and acts like he doesnt care... he didnt even tell me i had stitches in my nose...

[danZzz]

sniffing inwards hard will hurt your sinuses..
soz, i tryed my best 2 help lol

[smitherines]

I had the septoplasty, turbination, endocopic sinus surgery on 05/15/08.  The worse days so far has been Friday evening and Saturday evening into Sunday night. I started taking, sunday evening, tylenol in between my lortabs.  Boy did that make a difference.  My throat is still raw from the tube.  Sometimes my whole head aches from the surgery.  But I do feel better in my sinus cavities.  At this point I would defintely do it again.  I don't have the pressure around my eyes that I had before the surgery.  I go Wednesday and get my stents out on Wednesday. I hear that is rough.  Keep you posted on how that goes.

[lisalisa173]

I had Septoplasty & turbinate reduction last week 1125/08 . I have some Sinus pressure but over all it’s not to bad. I only needed pain med for 2 days. I was told not to bend over, lift things ect ect.. I normally listen to about half of what people let me to do lol.. When I started to clean the house and decorate for Christmas my face started to throb a little so I stopped. It’s only been 5 days since my operation . I got up this morning and wanted to go to work but thought it best to rest today.
I am hoping this will stop me from getting sick as much since my past sinus infections started to travel to my lungs which started to cause bigger problems for me.
My brother has a Septoplasty & turbinate reduction in the summer and has not has a infection since… I am keeping my finger crossed for the same results

[Megs09]

I had an inferior turbinate reduction (somnoplasty) as well as functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) in my right nostril. I'm now 4 days post surgery. The first evening there was burning from my upper nose, behind the eyes, to back past my temples. The hydrocodone fixed this 100 percent. The next day, due to swallowing all night and a very dry mouth from sleeping with my mouth open, and I supposed the tube down my throat during surgery, I began with a sore throat. Now 4 days past, the throat is still sore, I find most foods, even a lot of mushy foods, burn going down.  I'd recommend luke warm chicken soup, this seems ok. Today however, the left nostril began to clear, and the flow of air hitting the back of my nose burns too. The right nostril is still completely clogged. Really, the pain is very minimal, it's more like discomfort. The drainage has been extremely small. Very small amounts of blood, usually just a light pink color on the gauze I keep under my nose. No stints, the packing was taken out an hour after surgery. I was told I can walk, not bend. The few times I've bent down, I get a throbbing in my head, and will immediately take it easy. The swelling was extremely minimal for the first two days and just under the nose. For now, I take half a hydrocodone for the discomfort every 6 hours, amoxicillin to fight infection, and use a nasal saline wash 5 times a day. I'd say the most annoying part is sleeping with my mouth open. I have a checkup with the doctor one week post surgery. I hope this is helpful!

[theshopper]

It has been 2 1/2 weeks since my septoplasty, and balloon sinuplasty.  I was told I wouldn't need stints and I also had the dissovable stitches.  Has anyone had any problems with eye blurriness and slight sinus headache/pressure?  I have to say, I can breathe alot better...and am glad I had the procedures done.

[mslauralicious]

They have come a long way in reducing the pain and swelling that comes with Septoplasty.  No longer do they use packing ,which was what I always heard was the worse part of recovery.  They use dissolveable stitches and although you're not allowed to blow your nose for 2 weeks, the saline solution NeilMed takes care of cleaning all the yuck that accummulates inside the nose.  The most pain I exeperienced was none dealing with my nose.  It was the severe sore throat that drove me insane.  It's been 4 days and the throat is still severe.  I read above about asking the doctor to prescribe "Magic Mouthwash"  I'm going to see if I can get that and I'll let you know if it works.   When asking off for work you definetely should take 4 days off and use ice packs every 30  min along with sleeping upright with pillows for the first few days.  I could tell a difference in my breathing and how much better it was the day of surgery.  The 2nd and 3rd day are a bit more stuffy.  

[RecoveryDay]

I just had my septoplasty and turbinectomy (both sides) yesterday.  I would say that I have not yet experienced anything that I would describe as pain.  I do have stents in both nostrils which are uncomfortable, and I can only imagine will become more and more uncomfortable as time goes on.  I have to wait a week to get them out due to the nature of my surgery.  I am a bit scared of having the stents removed.  I guess I'm mostly afraid of a bad nose bleed and that they will stick or hurt when they come out.  Anybody else had stents removed after a week?  

[KenRyan]

theshopper said "Has anyone had any problems with eye blurriness and slight sinus headache/pressure?  I have to say, I can breathe alot better...and am glad I had the procedures done."

Yes!  It's 14 days since my septoplasty w/turb red. and I'm experiencing blurriness with sinus pressure and headache as well.  I didn't think it would still be happening after 2 weeks.  I'm also having pulsating tinnitus in my ears.  Has anyone else had that?

[liam695]

Definetely not hesitate to see a doctor about that. The operation should not affect the eyes. Perhaps the bluryness may be the painkillersm but still see a doctor.
I am 7.5 weeks post-op and my sinus is as bad as its ever been. Can barely breath, and have quite alot of sinus pressure.

[Don473]

I had this surgery a week ago, and I'm feeling all right. My splints were removed Monday and I was able to breath through both nostrils for the first time ever, it seems. When the doctor took them out, I sucked in so much air I got dizzy and the doctor fainted from lack of oxygen. Just kidding. I still have a bit of a sore throat and I too had a bit of visual blurriness for a few days. I also had trouble being able to urinate for 5 hours after the surgery. I drank lots of water with lemon juice and that helped.  I am very glad I had this done. I no longer wake up with a horribly dry mouth because I don't breath through my mouth almost exclusively at night.

[Don473]

When I said "I had this surgery" I meant Septoplasty. I had nothing else done at the time.

[RecoveryDay]

I am two weeks post op now after having septoplasty and bilateral turbinectomy.  The stents were the only thing that I would describe as uncomfortable and it was such a relief to have them removed last week.  It didn't hurt at all to have them removed, as I had feared (note my earlier post).  The doc had to snip one stitch in each nostril that was holding them in, but that didn't hurt either.  I was afraid that they would stick to my nose, but they didn't in the slightest.  I was also afraid of bleeding - it never happened.  There was quite a bit of "snot" that came out though, but he had given me a kleenex so I could immediately wipe that away.  He also allowed me to gently blow my nose right afterward, and that was a nice relief as well. I still have not had any pain from this procedure, but once in a while when my glasses get a little heavy on my nose, I feel little pin ***** sensations in the tip of nose.  But that goes away as soon as I push my glasses up again.  My doc gave me steroid nasal spray because I had an additional problem in that my nasal tissues had fused together,completely blocking my airway.  He wants me to use that every day to keep it from closing up again.  He also gave me a kit for nasal rinsing, and I have been doing that every day.  It feels really good to clean out my sinuses that way.  I went out and bought the little packets that go with the squeeze bottle. Right now, my nasal passages feel great and I'm so glad I had this procedure done.  I would like to add that I did get a recommendation from another person for this doctor.  

[hatemysinuses]

I am here looking for any advice and any discussion on how people have done after septoplasty. I had a septoplasty and turbinate reduction back in March of 2009.  

The first few weeks post-op were pretty bad, but then things "seemed" to slowly get better.  I would say I had a good 3 weeks where my nose seemed somewhat normal, and that was about 8 weeks post-surgery. Then, in June/July after my surgery in March, things started going downhill. I had to blow my nose CONSTANTLY, and I mean, CONSTANTLY.  I would try to sleep, but wake up every 30 minutes because my pillow was soaking wet and cold where liquid had come out of my nose.  I was going through about 3 boxes of kleenex every 24 hours.  I then completely lost my sense of smell. I started sneezing about 20-30 times a day. This went on until October, at which time I finally went back to the ENT.  Apparently, I had a horrible sinus infection.  I never had one in my life, so I didn't know that was what was going on, I just thought it was 'fall-out' from the surgery, as I had been told it could take 6 months to a year to feel fully better (my surgery had been to repair a deviated septum, but up until the summer after the surgery, I had never had a sinus infection in my life).  I was ecstatic, thinking that I finally had an answer, and that things would return to normal, how they were before I first had problems and was diagnosed w/ a deviated septum.

Short story long, the doctor put me on prednisone and antibiotics.  While I was on the prednisone, I could breathe, my nose stopped running so much, but still ran some, and I could finally smell again.  But, once I went off the prednisone, it came right back........the stuffiness and runniness, the ear-popping, the sneezing, the sinus pressure, the post-nasal drip.  I went back to him, he took another CT scan, which showed some of the infection was still there.  I did another bout of prednisone and antibiotics, same story.........it came back.  I went back again, he did another bout of prednisone w/o even doing a CT scan, and, yet again, it was fine while on prednisone, then once I went off, it's right back to the same problem:  sinus pain, pressure, congestion, runny nose (sometimes if I get up off the couch, once I get to the kitchen, I have 'streams' of liquid coming out of both nostrils.........I have to take a tissue with me EVERYWHERE!!!), sneezing, and NO sense of smell.  The weird thing is, if I blow my nose, then breathe in, at that moment ONLY, I can smell.  After that, though, it's gone again.  

I've had allergy testing, and everything came back negative.

I can't take much more of this.  I think that the septoplasty has ruined my nose. Sure, I can breathe through my nose now, but what's the point, when I can only breathe through my nose and not get 100% air flow (sometimes I feel dizzy and like I'm not getting enough oxygen through my nose--like it's not 100% open, although my ENT says after the surgery he could drive a train through my nostrils, they're so open), and I have all of these other problems on top of it, that I never had before.  

I'm wondering if anyone else has had similar experiences after septoplasty.  I now wish I had NEVER had this surgery.  Granted, I couldn't breathe through one side of my nose before, but at least then, I could smell, and I didn't have to use 3 boxes of tissues a day, and I didn't sneeze all the time, and my ears didn't pop, and I didn't have pain and pressure.  Seems now, I can breathe through my nose most of the time, but I have more problems that are different, that I never had before, so what was the point?

I've heard of non-allergic rhinitis, and am worried that I somehow developed that after the septoplasty. Is that possible?  Has anyone else had these same problems after surgery?  Any help you can give me would be much appreciated. I'm at my wit's end about this.

[Gaff52]

Hi , I've been having problems with my sinus for years now but only when flying and for a numbers of days after. Somtimes I would even have bleeding that would last a few day's. I would also have problems the day after drinking alcohol ie bad sinus headeache and no not a hangover I can tell the difference :) Apart from these two situations I would never have problems. Anyway Went to my ENT and got checked. They done a CT scan and it showed that I had a deviated septum the same as you so I got the septoplasty done 18 months ago now with the hope that this would solve my pain while flying and after drinking. However I'm sad to say I'm now worse. On my first flight after the Op the pressure pain was unreal and the bleeding was still there, I now have sinus pressure pain reguarlay without drinking or flying so I went back to the ENT and they done another scan. The results came back and they say  everything looks fine and the Op was a success. I can tell you for sure that the Op does not feel like a sucess. The pressure pain is driving me mad at times and I don't want to scare anyone but if I could turn back time I would not have this Op done again. I am now at the stage that flying is on longer an option for me and I'm reguarly taking pain killers to contol the pain.

I pretty much gave up alcohol as the pain the next day is just not worth it as alcohol will swell your sinus and increase pressure pain.

I hope you and I find a soulation one day to our problem. But if the soulaton turns out to be another OP.... I think I would stick to the pain i've currently got cause I don't think I could risk it getting any worse and the doctors telling me it was another success..

Best of luck

Regards,

[unreal23]

Hi all, just wanted to add my experience to this long list.  I just had a Septoplasty (to repair deviated septum) and turbinate reduction done about a week ago, January 21st, 2010.  You may not want to read my dissertation, so....the surgery and recovery process, post-op of splint removal has been nearly pain free with no complications in my case (cross my fingers).  Some advice if you get this done:  Have on hand a box of Q-tips to clean out your nose, some nasal saline spray, and plenty of straws to drink water from.  To give you a little background, the doctor diagnosed me with a severly deviated septum, swollen turbinates but no sinus issues whatsoever.  The MAIN reason I had this done was simply to sleep better - I was feeling lethargic and tired all day despite sleeping 7 or 8 hours a night.  Secondary reasons were constantly stuffy nose and a bit of snoring.  

Day 1:  I wake up from anesthesia feeling disoriented and groggy but otherwise in only mild discomfort.  I lied just in case and they fed me a hydrocodone :)  They taped a white mustache pseudo bandage over my upperlip to absorb the bloody drainage.  There was not a river of blood, but just enough to slowly soak the little bandage.  Long story short, I was driven home and headed straight to the coach and TV.   I was starving at this point and immediately had a family member cook up a pot of mac and cheese.  The only unpleasant symptoms at the end of this day was slight sore throat, heavy nasal congestion and steady bleeding.  Not bad at all....no nausea, no stabbing nasal pains, no headache.  Make sure to clean your nose with moist q-tips to prevent crusting!

Day 2-3 :  Tired as hell from a horrendous night of sleep because of my congested nose.  The splints make nose breathing nearly impossible and I am forced to breathe through my mouth.  This makes my mouth dry and I am sipping water constantly.  Appetite is a bit down but not too bad.  Mainly, I am very  very tired and spend much of the day sleeping, or laying down.  The more time you spend standing up, the mose your nose will bleed.  My nose only bled when my nose was tilting forward.  Still no pain, headaches etc.  Remember to clean your nose, this will help you so much when the splints are removed

Day 4:  Still tired as hell from poor nights of sleep,  For much of the day, I am still weak, heavily congested and slight bleeding when I strike the wrong pose.  Slight headache for a few hours which is promptly relieved by taking tylenol.  However, in the evening, I start feeling better in terms of energy.  I walk around the house feeling supremely congested and bored.  

Day 5:  Still tired from lack of quality sleep.  Today is splint removal which I am dreading.  At the same time, I cannot wait to get the damn annoying things out of my nose.  I go so far as to take my first hydrocodone + 2 tylenols before the appointment.  Like an idiot, I proceed to read horror stories of other people's splint removal.   So, in short, the process of pulling out the stiches and taking out the splints did not hurt at all.  I, however, nearly passed out from imagining the pain.  I was VERY thankful that my nose was fairly clear of dried crud to make splint removal a breeze.  My nose feels great at this point and I head home in high spirits.  The doctor warns of swelling over next few days.

Day 6:  No pain, no tiredness, no drainage.  I just feel like I have some congestion due to the swelling.  This should subside within a few days according to the doctor.      

Granted, my experience seems rather ideal, but finding a GOOD doctor to perform this surgery and following post-op instructions to the letter also goes a long way towards healthy recovery.  For example, my doctor has been performing septoplasty for 20 years amd was recommended to me by a friend.  

[schnoz4314]

am 8 weeks post septoplasty and can finally breathe thru both nostrils but obviously have a low grade infection in the sinus above my previously blocked nostril. am going to start antibiotic regimen, as i never had such thick purilent mucus before. the good news, however is that when i now blow my nose, something finally comes out!

[panky69]

I had sinus surgery and turbinate reduction on 11th May. First 3-4 days were a bit difficult as lots of bloody discharge was coming out everytime I washed my nose with saline rinse. I felt tired and congested most of the time. Now 2 weeks after surgery, I am feeling a lot better. Still some sensation is there inside the nose which is discomforting but not painful. Also a bit congested feeling at the top of nose and mild headach at times. But my sinuses feels quite cleared up with no pressure. Overall I am feeling much better with a hope to recover completely in another 1-2 weeks. Thats what my doctor told after the surgery. Today I am going to see my doc. will post after the meeting.

[zynq]

Hi! everyone, i had Terbinectomy and Septoplasty, around 25 days ago, i can breath well, sometimes my left or right nostril gets blocked, and i have to blow out to clear the way. Doctors adviced me to use Kestine tablet, and a spray (forgot the name :S) everyday in my nose. But sometimes i dont use them,**LAZINESS**.
Overall im feeling better than before surgery, but sometimes extreme headache, =[
and when I clean my nose during pain, big dried mucus comes out with pain and blood. =[

Please tell me how much time it will take to make the pain go away >?

[gereem]

I'm post two and a half weeks since my deviated septum surgery and whereas before my right nostril would get completely blocked with a not painful but very annoying hard pressure inside my nose (more to the right) now my right nose still has this constant pressure that's not going away although my breathing is alright now. Is this something that's normal or do most people who have sinus surgeries feel completely normal and not feel any pressure whatsoever in their nose after a while?

[TrickyRickymagic]

I had Doctor Karl of Richmond Hill, Ontario did my Septoplasty.
He did a wonderful job---my snorting and plugged sinus problems are all gone.
I can breath through my left nostril for the first tim after 50 years of suffering.
It feels so good to be able to suck up so much oxygen.
I use to use so much tissue and nasal spray to clear my nose., now, I don't even take sinus pills anymore.
The was no pain or swelling. The only pain killers I had in my system was the dose they gave me during the operation.
He gave me prescription for Codine---which I didn't take., Since I had no pain, I had no need to take any more pills.
I guess the success of Septoplasty depends on how good a specialist you doctor is.
Richard

[BalloonForYourNose]

There is a tremendous fairly new technology that has actually been successfully used for amost 4 years now.  It is used throughout the country and has a 91% success rate in relieving Chronic Sinusitis.  Its available nationally but living here in Los Angeles, I know its available throughout Southern California.  Standard sinus surgery for this condition entails the removal of bone, tissue and literally much of your entire ethmoid sinuses.  They often create giant holes in the side of your maxilary sinuses.  Once they open those holes, they can never be closed back up.  If you look at a CT scan of people who have had this surgery, some of them just have big giant spaces in their head.

The founders of this technique had original goals for the procedure called FESS or Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery.  Those goals were to open up your sinus openings or ostiums so the sinus could begin working normally again.  The other goals of these founders were to minimize tissue and bone removal leaving you with as much natural anatomy as possible.  As you can imagine, and have probably heard, this technique can be painful, often keeping you out of work for 7 days or more.  Unfortunately, these original goals are not always met.  Many times there is a lot of tissue and bone removal.

Today, a company called Acclarent, now owned by Johnson and Johnson, has developed balloons, similar to what they use in coronary angioplasty (which has helped millions avoid cardiac surgery) that go in and 1) open up the sinus ostium  2) allow the sinus to begin functioning normally again  3) sometimes there is little or no tissue or bone removal and you maintain your nature anatomy or (pieces and parts).  The good news is that if it doesn't work, you can still get the "traditional" surgical method.  You do not lose that option but yet it the balloon works 91% of the time.    4) you can usually return to work within two days.  Have the procedure on Friday and be back potentially on Monday.  

So ask your doctor about the procedure.  If they don't know about it or they criticize it, you might ask another doctor.  Almost all major hospitals in the country now provide the procedure.  There are great surgeons out there who offer it and who have used it successfully now for 2, 3 or 4 years.   You can go to www.Acclarent.com and learn more about it.   I wish you all the best and may your soon be relieved of your pain and headaches!!  One hospital says, "Cutting edge technology without the cutting!!  

[scamp204]

I just had Septoplasty and turbinate reduction surgery to help with breathing due to a deviated septum (double).  I went to a sleep clinic and they found the problem and this is why I was always exhausted and never feeling rested.  I was concerned over the recovery due to having a 7 month old baby at home.  My husband took the first week off work and he needed to, the first day was bad and then it was really bad for the next 8 days, I was in bed 20 hours a day with T3 with Codeine every 4 hours and antibotics and using a nasal rinse 4 times a day.... the recovery is hard however, I feel much better now and the tubes were taken out after 2 weeks and other than I have not ever felt that much air in my nose and the headaches are getting less severe, with proper rest and realizing that this is surgery and it is going to be hard.. I would do it again....

[arsmall]

I just had Septoplasty and corrected deviated septum surgery on Friday, Dec. 3, 2010.  My ENT removed all the polyps and I'm telling you I have had NO congestion whatsoever! No swelling, nothing!  She did a wonderful job!  I was able to breathe out of both nostrils immediately after surgery.  I'm also able to blow my nose(not very hard, but steady) with no bleeding or pain.  The only discomfort I've had is the stinging in the site where the stitches are(deviated septum correction) and sinus pressure.  The cold air and rinses cause the sinus pain but my Hydrocodone helps with that. the pain isn't severe.  The rinses are really helping to loosing the crusting and gel packing.  I'm using a whole packet and full bottle on each nostril once in the morning and once at night.

My ENT's name is Blanca Durand and she practices in Stockbridge, Ga.

[quanman]

I had the deviated septum and reduced turbinate surgery 3 days ago. Today is the 4th day, but I still can not breath totally with my nose. It opens only about 50%. I had to sleep opened-mouth all these days, terrible. It looks like no recovery at all .......I am scared go to bed.

[Red49er]

I just had Septoplasty, Turbinate reduction and corrected a deviated septum surgery on Dec 1st, 2010. After surgery, i followed ENT's orders and took my vicadin. I had no pain. Just had minor discomfort. I was very stuffy for a few days. Being stuffy was the worst part, not the surgery or discomfort. I called ENT and they brought me in (1 week after surgery). The ENT numbed my sinus' with a spray and then sucked the crap out of my sinus cavity's. That hurt more than anything but ended most of my stuffiness. It was heaven being able to breathe again. It's now been 2 weeks after surgery. I developed a sinus infection (of course on the weekend) even though I was on penn. Another ENT prescribed a stronger antibiotic. It seems to be working. I still have slight stuffiness but only on the side where ENT did major work. I still need to see my ENT for a couple more "cleanings" over a month. I assume after that, I will be breathing much better. Bottom line, breathing out of the left side is fantatsic and my right side some minor stuffiness but again, my ENT told me I will see a drastic improvement in a couple of months. For now, I'd say it's improved my breathing but not to the point where I expected to be. I've always had breathing issues all my life so it's no big deal to give it another month or two to see if it worked.  I sure hope my sense of smell gets better too. I'm sure that's from the surgery as well.

[SeptoinReno]

I'm 5 days post-op on my septoplasty and turbinate reduction, and I've developed a sinus infection and congestion in my chest.  I'm on Cephelexin for infections, but things seem to be getting worse.  The ENT said it was ok for me to go back onto my C-Pap machine the day the stents were removed, but that was a BAD idea.  I woke up with such a pain in my sinuses and head I thought I was having an aneurism (aneurysm).  I've since adjusted my C-Pap pressure down 30% and that's helped tremendously.

I've been doing saline daily, but my nose still has pressure.  Discharge is clear to slightly bloody, but it's productive.  The sinus pressure actually started on day 3 just prior to having my stents removed.  Should I give it some time and see if the swelling and discharge goes away?

[Moffgogs]

Hi, I had a septoplasty early 2010 as had a deviated septum, I however have found my pain is now worse I feel pressure and pain 24/7 and feel as though my nasal passage is more blocked than before, im guessing this isnt normal as its now feb 2011! Ive had to give up work as the enviroment made pain so severe id be bed ridden for days after a shift, I have been seeing doctors since who havent been much help, ive now been diagnosed with trigeminal neuralgia (nerve problem which effects face) my eye is achey (achy), sore and tired all the time which could have been triggered from the operation no way to know( is ten times worse than pain i had from broke septum) so its unclear whether all of my pain is from the trigeminal neuralgia  or if some is in result of the operation! Has anyone else had these or similar problems, if so please help me understand what may be the problem, thanks A

[cancundreams]

hey there,
well you are not the only one with the problems you are having..I am feeling and having the same problems as you...infact a lot more if you forgot to  put all your symptoms down...i have undergone 3 reconstuctive surgeries in the past amost 5 years now..and finally saw a fourth doctor...feb 18th 2011..i also have the nerve problem..always thought the problem was because of the severe headaches...and the pressure like my eyes are going to pop out of my head..lol...fatige...cant sleep!! had a sleep study done for that.might need another...because i didnt sleep very long at the study..by the time i slept they wake you up...dizzyness at times, fell a bunch of times and hurt other body parts..i thought i was a rearity..the lastest is they want to use cadaver which i think im against to rebuld the cartlege because of the cartledge colaspe i suffer from..i cant breath through my nose at all..kinda like wearing a scuba mask 24/7..and trying to breath through a snorkel. the pressue *****...lol...after 5 years of this you start to become a little mental..some doctors are helpful and others are not..they say you should not have headaches or pressure..but the fact is i do..so that can be a little annoying..where are you located ?and do you have an email address?we can kinda chat more and i can tell you about the doctors who will understand and help you the most..looking forward to talking with you...because its nice having someone to relate to with the same problems ...talk soon..***@****

[Infinite1]

The doctor told me that I had disolvable stitches.I blew them out a week after surgery is this bad?Could I have jepordized the entire operation by blowing my nose to much?

[willis45651]

hello everyone!  my mother just had the sepotoplasty done yesterday (july 1) i am currently staying with her to basically do whatever she needs me to. this morning she had her shower and the tried to do the nasal rinse but she couldnt get the rinse to come out of her nose it went  straight down her throat. is there something she didnt do right or is this normal? shes not bleeding now but can tell shes still full of blood. any suggestions im worried about her!

[willis45651]

hello everyone!  my mother just had the sepotoplasty done yesterday (july 1) i am currently staying with her to basically do whatever she needs me to. this morning she had her shower and the tried to do the nasal rinse but she couldnt get the rinse to come out of her nose it went  straight down her throat. is there something she didnt do right or is this normal? shes not bleeding now but can tell shes still full of blood. any suggestions im worried about her!

[chefkate]

Your mom should be holding her chin as close to her chest as she comfortably can while she's using the sinus rinse. Also keep her mouth open as I've experience some runaway rinse trying to go down my throat as well. Keeping your mouth open will allow it to escape through there. It's totally normal to keep bleeding for a few days as long as it's not constant, flowing blood for more than 15 minutes at a time. After 4 hours on day 3 I was still peeling a blood soaked bandage off my face. It is now day 6 for me and I no longer bleed. My doctor recommended saline spray only (no sinus rinse) and that has helped get all the gunk to flow out of my nose. I hope your mom feels better. The first few days are not pleasant but it gets better at a rapid pace. :-)

[DeePain]

I just had my surgery yesterday July 6th it was the worst feeling throwing up blood couldnt wake up from the anesthesia couldnt eat a thing, today day two i'm eating, its a little uncomfortable and i'm doing saline 4x's a day the most annoying is the pressure from the splints in my nose although I know all will work out in the end i wish i hadnt done this but thats just me i have lo tolerance for pain, weird since i had three babies. Good luck to all!!!! Any suggestions for the pressure feeling?

[minn59]

HI i had septoplasty surgery for blocked sinius and ent doctor said my bone in my septum was blarger on 1 side this was what was causing the pressure ive .i got op  done on may 18 2011 and im still getiing sinius problems wish i never got it .ITS driving me up the wall i take sudfed hayver tabs inhale mentyol crystal with no relief im going back to my gp and my nose is still tender as well .its  a waste of time

[brickd]

i had a septoplasty and turbinate reduction 7 days ago. First 2 days/nites were terrible, and ever since it has been bad, but not nearly as bad at those first two days/nites. my nose is still completely packed with gel that dissolves after 7-10 and i can visually see the stuff coming out. i didnt have the sutures that most of you guys had put in ur nose after the surgery..i was shot up the nostrils with gel, like i said dissvolves on its own after 7-10 days. i have an appt with the surgeon one week from now and i seriously cannot wait to get some info from him, as this is verrry uncomfrotable..i will come back to let u all know any updates

[stuffy1]

11-02-11, Wednesday: had septoplasty and bi-lateral turbinate reduction.  Felt okay until the hospital meds/numbing wore off.  Used the pain killer prescribed (hydrocodone) which made me very tired yet did nothing to help with the pain.  Can't breathe and sleep is just not an option. It feels like I've been punched in the face.  My front teeth hurt.
11-03-11, Thursday: In pain and miserable at 2:00a.m.; can't wait for post-op appt. later this morning. Arrived at doctor's office an hour early and they were so nice - took me early!!  Pulled out the packing (so gross!) The stints are still in and stabbing me inside my nose.  Can't breathe but at least some of the pressure from the packing is relieved.  Severe congestion.  I'm using the saline spray to keep nose clean.  I hate trying to sleep - so horrible to wake up with a dry sticky mouth. I'm brushing my teeth several times during the night.  
11-04-11, Friday: up for good at 2:30 - I give up on sleep. Trying ibuprofen for pain/swelling. Can't wait to get stints out on Monday.

When will pain subside?
When will I be able to breathe at night?
Will things improve after strint removal?

[phoebs610]

I had surgery this past Friday.  It's the second time I've had this surgery because the first time "didn't work."  I guess that's a medical term.  Apparently in the healing process, the septum rounded again blocking the same nostril that was already blocked (due to multiple nose breaks from a sport I probably should give up on...rugby).  Regardless, it's just as painful as the first time.  I DO NOT recommend this surgery to anyone that sees it as "optional." I.e. if life is pretty good, and sleep is pretty good, stick with the nose you have because it might not work the first time, and you REALLY don't want to do it again.

Regardless, I did it again because post the first fix, breathing was worse and I couldn't sleep.  It's been 4 days since the surgery and I still have a ton of pressure below and between my eyes, a splitting headache in the front (forehead area), and burning in my nose.  I can't "blow" my nose yet though I did do gentle outward breathing and a q-tip caught a lot of amazing carnage (think what a black bloody slug might look like crawling out your nose...it's actually a very rewarding find).  There's plenty of dissolvable sutures in my nostrils/septum....some of which have already come out with my twice daily hydrogen peroxide q-tip cleanse (BURNS) followed by a q-tip of bacetracin (slight relief from hperox).  I take antibiotics to fight infections (which I had the first go around- more pain than I can remember in my life, and I've been hospitalized for worse injuries) and he had me on Percocet but it upset my stomach and was throwing up (felt like I was on my deathbed after no sleep) this past Monday.  I went off the painkillers and am now trying to just take tylenol when really needed - I don't recommend this as I'm in daily pain/pressure but the painkillers were destroying my stomach/system so this is best for me.

I think I'm on the upswing though...have my follow up on Friday (one week from the surgery) when he'll take out the splints holding the septum in place.  My packing was removed as soon as I woke up (not all that unpleasant because you're still groggy and painfree but expect blood to pour out and wear a silly gauze moustache for a while.

I have my fingers crossed that this time worked - I definitely can't go through this a third time but I LOVE my doctor and trust him immensely.  I'm just one of those unlucky souls.

Best to all,
Almost 30

[ebony386]

I just got my splints removd and my left nostril is completely blocked. I cannot breathe out of it at all and my right nostril is perfect and I can breathe easily. Will my left side eventually open up. I hope I didn't waste my time having this surgery.

[rvcasa]

Actually my operation did affect my eyes, or more precisely, my vision...

I had constant blurred vision and dizziness and nausea till some 4-5 days after  the surgery... and although I called the hospital everyday for those 5 days, they kept telling me "don't worry, it's the anaesthesia symptoms.

I was later diagnosed with a stroke, that did not affect anything except my vision.

No loss of movement on limbs or muscle disfunction (somewhat typical of a stroke) but had loss my (left eye) peripheral vision as the result of the stroke.

And I have had the stroke (at the age of 40) while I was knocked out, having the surgery done at the hospital!
(No diabetes or blood clot or anything unusual that could have triggered the stroke!)


I regret now having had the surgery, as I didn't want it done in first place!

As a result, I cannot work (my usual job) or drive!
(or scuba diving, or cycle, or run or anything I used to do that was fun).


I just wanted you to know the possible side effects, although rare, but still...

[akalail]

I had repair for a deviated septum from a broken nose over a year ago. I have lost my sense of smell, still have crusting in my right nostril. I also feel like at times i cant get enough oxygen at night and wake up gasping for air. I still have pain and am always runny or stuffy. New problem is my right ear always feels like it is full of fluid. my ent doesnt seemed concerned, says the surgery was sucessful but i feel like i am worse off now. anyone else having these problems still?

[hgower]

Hi Every one
Reading this is making me think twice if I have to go for surgery because of deviated nose and sinus issues, more that the sines the nasal dri is the worse and there is alwys yuccy stuff in my throat and the mucas is so thick and chunky in my throat and I feel that htere is something there, which can go fron the throat to the uer chest area and when the throat thing starts getting bad the back of myt  neck start to hurt too, It strated in Set 11, to date been to two ent, the first one was in ha hurry to get the oerateion done, I had a lum in front of the arch asked the ENT what is it he said due to the nose dri, but the lum was on R side befor e the arch, he said I have a deviated nose scan shouws olys or cysts, too, dids and endoscoy everything normal but said to go on zorton as it could be silet reflux guess what the zorton made me bur and then I wanted to bur and cant bur it was like colic may be it was a effect of the meds, so I stoed it, went to and fro to the doctors as I culd not breath at one time through my nose and was on clac, for 4 weeks, and another cule of antibiotics, but the roblem ws still there
Throat issuedid any of you have this roble with the sinus that you have I was ut on antifistamine for long eriods of times, anyway I had the mucas clear turned to chunks and back on antibiotics took the mucas issue out which left me with a dry cough , I think the coughing too must be irritating the throat and making meel like there is something stuck there, have asthma does not hel on accuhaler , ventolin, I strated to brew ginger and take with hot water  and honey to hel cut the mucas a bit that did hel a little bit broght a nasl flow when I had the breathing roblem felt the water coming out of the years as if I was a swimmer, so gave that u .  Doctor did a normal allergy test  my score was1666 normally shyuld be between zero to two hundren the 2nd ent saw this got me to d o anther few more allergy to break it down dander, ollen dust  grass, sure it will be these definitely as I sneeze ofr them this ENT said the lum in throat was my tonsil and not to worry as there is no ain, but sometimes I get a ricky feeling and worder if there is still a tonsil stone behind it,
ut me on prednisone , and demazine tablets, want to know if any of you had to take this rednasloan 25 mg 1 in the morning for 7 days then half for sebven days then half every alternate day for the next thirty days.
But I do get the tickly dry cough, on and off sneeze and dri, I havent stillstarted on this going to do it tomorrow any ideas or suggestion and have any of youll been on it for that long. lese let me know. I willhave to get the bone straghtend dont have sinus ain on and off dri but that tickly drives me nuts and the heavyness in the throat onand off,  hoe the meds will subsidies it.
I am really worried if I have to go for the oeration
lease kee me osted if you have taken these meds and for how long as it will hel me calm my nervs and have any of you have had such a high allergy testing, I am taking the carets off and utting floating floors hoing to sto it a little in the tracks
Regards
Heather