A Guide to Sinus Surgery

Dealing with chronic sinusitis or a deviated septum are referred to an ENT doctor and these are those who often have breathing issues due to nasal congestion and bacteria or viral infections. There are medications to help chronic sinusitis but when it is recurring or does not resolve completely, sinus surgery is a good option. Speaking to your ENT doctor is the best thing to do next and sinus surgeries are usually a safe and common procedure. Unclogging the nasal cavity to ensure that you can breathe properly is only going to serve you well.

Understanding sinus surgery before it happens is important. You can feel better prepared, and your ENT doctor will be able to talk you through the process. So, what do you need to know about sinus surgery?

Before the procedure

It's natural to be worried or feel anxiety before you undergo a medical procedure but with your ENT doctor, you shouldn't need to be nervous. They will be able to talk you through the risks and the actual procedure before you go under the anesthesia. When you are worked up before the procedure, you will be too tense and your ENT doctor will find it too difficult to complete the procedure. It's best to consult your ENT doctor on how to relax before the procedure, as they will be able to ensure that you feel at ease with the process.

During the procedure

Sinus surgeries are often outpatient procedures. They won't be done under general anesthesia and they can happen directly in your doctor's office. During balloon surgery, a catheter and balloon is inserted into your nasal cavity and inflated for five seconds before being deflated and removed.

Functional endoscopic surgery involves an endoscope inserted into the nasal cavity and the ENT doctor can then unclog the entire cavity to make it easy for you to breathe. Numbing medication is used in these procedures and the process can take a while. The surgeries that take place on an operating table include turbinate reduction and adenoid surgeries.

Turbinate reduction surgeries reduce the nasal turbinate’s so you can breathe better. Adenoid surgery is another that's done on the operating table and it's usually done on pediatric and young patients. Before the operation, you should tell your ENT doctor about any allergies you have and other essential bits and pieces.

Under each sinus surgery, your ENT doctor will do what they can for the end goal of moving air through your nasal cavities. Sinus surgery is designed to help you to breathe better and whether your procedure is done on an operating table or not, your ENT doctor is going to be by your side the entire time.

Recovery and aftercare

Once your sinus surgery is over, the recovery process begins. Some surgeries allow you to go home the very same day and others you need a little more care. No matter what, you will need to rest as much as possible after your surgery.

Nasal packaging is used to pack the nasal passages and it prevents any bleeding. This packaging usually dissolves over time, and the recovery depends on the surgery and you! The usual timeframe is eight weeks, and you need to rest as much as possible in the first two weeks.