Sinus problems are extremely common, affecting between 250,000 and 300,000 people each year. Here are 5 types of sinus surgery, and how to successfully heal from each of them.

Chronic health problems related to sinus can disrupt the quality of your life. Reduced airflow, snoring, and sleep apnea are one of the most common symptoms of sinusitis. The first-line treatment involves prescription of antibiotics and allergy treatment.

However, some patients do not respond well to the treatment and require surgical measures. There are different types of sinus surgery available to correct a variety of issues. Each one is used to realign the structure, improve performance and get rid of sinus problems.

In this article, we will explore what is sinus surgery, the different types of sinus surgery procedures and how to heal from each one effectively.

Sinus Surgery – The Basics

For those of you who have been considering sinus surgery, it is essentially is a surgical procedure performed by an ENT surgeon to help you get relief from chronic sinus symptoms. The surgery is typically performed on patients who do not respond well to other treatment options. Sinus surgery conventionally involves opening up the pathways to improve the airflow.

Types of Sinus Surgery

Following are some of the types of sinus surgery procedures available to treat a myriad of sinus issues:

1. Septoplasty

This type of sinus surgery is typically performed on an outpatient basis and is done to correct the issues associated with the midline of the nose. During the procedure, the surgeon will restructure the septum. A septum is a partition that divides your nostrils and is made of bone as well as cartilage. If the septum is not in the right position due to an injury or a birth cavity, it can lead to breathing problems.

The procedure is ideal for people who struggle with chronic sinusitis and breathing troubles. Essentially, the surgeon will open the air passage while restructuring the septum.

2. Turbinate Reduction

If you are someone who struggles with infections, allergies, and irritation, chances are that the turbinates in your nose have become severely damaged. If not treated properly, it can lead to extreme nasal obstruction and mucus production.

There are a total of three turbinates in the nasal passage and their job is to help filter and warm up the air that we inhale. Turbinates have a bony structure. The goal of turbinate nasal surgery is to minimize the swelling that leads to easier and more comfortable breathing.

The surgeon uses a small, needle-like instrument to transmit the radio frequency to the tissue. As you heal, the turbinate reduces in size, making breathing easy. The surgery will not alter the shape and size of the nose by any means.

3. Functional Rhinoplasty

As soon as you hear the term rhinoplasty, the cosmetic nose job comes into mind. However, rhinoplasty is done for functional purposes also. It is typically performed by an ENT surgeon to remove any abnormalities within your nose that hinders breathing. The functional nose job corrects all the obstructions and allows for smooth and easy airflow into the lungs.

The ENT surgeon resculpts the bone and cartilage of the nose through a small incision. This type of sinus surgery also offers an obvious difference in the appearance of the nose. After surgery, rhinoplasty recovery will be needed to help you heal successfully and quickly.

4. Balloon Sinuplasty

It is a minimally invasive procedure with the simple goal of relieving chronic sinusitis symptoms. The procedure is pretty straightforward and involves the insertion of a balloon catheter into the nasal passage. With the help of a tiny flashlight, the surgeon will place the balloon at the right place, then it is inflated which helps to open the cavity and flushes out pus and mucus.

Immediately after the treatment, your sinus will clear up.

5. Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery

It is certainly one of the most commonly performed types of sinus surgery procedures. The surgeon will use a magnifying endoscope to examine the area and remove the affected tissue/bone as required. It essentially opens the connection between the nose and the sinus, enabling you to breathe normally. It can be performed in combination with other sinus surgeries if required to achieve better results.

One thing you need to keep in mind is that any of these surgical options are not used as the first treatment against your breathing problems. Oftentimes, a doctor will suggest medication, antibiotics, and other non-surgical options to help relieve the symptoms. If none of it works, only then an ENT surgeon will proceed with one or a combination of the above-mentioned surgeries.

Recovery After Sinus Surgery

Regardless of which types of sinus surgery procedures you receive, sinus surgery recovery will be needed. Firstly, your surgeon will ask you to use a drip pad under your nose. It helps collects any mucus and blood that comes out of your nose within 24 hours’ time frame after the surgery. Most likely, you will have a bit of swelling on your nose, upper lip, and cheeks. Some people also have swollen eyes. Nothing to be worried about here, it is part of the healing process.

Moreover, for the first few days post-surgery, your nose will be numb and the sensation will return to normal in a couple of months. It is best to take a week off from work to recover and rest.

In about three to four weeks, your surgeon will call you in for a follow-up to ensure everything is functioning well. In the meanwhile; make sure to:

• Limit your activity level during the recovery phase. Avoid excessive exercise and heavy lifting.
• Get a ten-minute walk daily to get the blood flow going and avoid blood clots.
• Rest as much as you can. Sleep 8 hours a day as it will help your body heal.
• Use lukewarm water to shower or take a bath. Avoid using extremely cold or extremely hot water.
• Do not go swimming for at least 4 months post-surgery.
• Take at least 1 week off from work or more till you feel better to get back to the grind.
• Do not skip follow-up appointments.
• Use a cold compress to minimize swelling
• Make sure to take all the medications prescribed by your surgeon timely.
• Eat a healthy diet that includes proteins, fruits, veggies, and healthy carbs.
• Take care of your incisions properly as per the instructions given by your surgeon.

We hope you found this article insightful. Taking proper care of yourself after sinus surgery is crucial. Proper post-care is as important as the surgery itself. We hope you heal soon!

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To better prepare for your surgery, here are five tips to speed up rhinoplasty recovery time and improve your post-op experience and healing process.

Some patients might see rhinoplasty as a minor procedure. Others see it as major surgery. It depends on your own history with surgery and personal comfort level with surgical procedures. A rhinoplasty can be an important procedure for a number of reasons, from appearance to efficient breathing. And because it’s important, it takes planning, both for the preparation and surgery and also for the recovery time.

Tips to Speed Up Your Rhinoplasty Recovery Time

Did you know that it can take a year to fully recover from a rhinoplasty? That doesn’t mean your nose won’t look or feel better for a year, of course – it happens in stages. It just means that it can take a year to reach your full rhinoplasty recovery time. You don’t have complete control over how fast your body heals, of course, but there are things that you can do to speed up your recovery time after rhinoplasty. Take a look at what you need to know about speeding up your rhinoplasty recovery time.

1. Keep Your Head Up

It’s a good idea after any surgery to keep your head up, as in keeping your spirits up. But after rhinoplasty surgery, it’s important to literally keep your head up – as in elevated. If you’re a side sleeper or stomach sleeper, you’ll need to make some adjustments in the post-surgery phase. You can increase bruising and swelling or even displace your nose by sleeping on your sides or front, so you’ll need to sleep on your back with your head up post-surgery.

Your best bet is to prop your head up with a few pillows, or you can use a foam wedge instead. If you have difficulty staying in one spot through the night, you can use rolled-up towels or a travel pillow to keep your head in one place. You can even sleep in a recliner temporarily to help keep you in the correct position for healing. What you don’t want to do is set your recovery back by accidentally sleeping in the wrong position.

2. Apply Cold Packs Correctly

Your doctor will most likely recommend that you use cold packs for at least the first few days following your surgery. Cold reduces swelling, which is one of your biggest issues directly following surgery.

Your instinct might be to put the cold compresses directly on your nose since, after all, that’s where you had surgery. But don’t. That could shift the cartilage or the bones, which is precisely what you don’t want to do. Instead, put the cold packs on your cheekbones to reduce pain and swelling.

3. Avoid Overheating

This one might be difficult, because when you don’t feel well – such as when you’re recovering from surgery – you tend to crave warm things for comfort. Warm soup. Warm blankets. Warm baths and showers. Maybe even warm air. But these are all things that you’ll probably want to avoid.

Heat makes tissues swell. And remember that swelling is one of the common post-surgical issues. Exacerbating the swelling could make your rhinoplasty recovery time take longer. Instead of gravitating to warm things, choose cool and room-temperature foods. Take showers with lukewarm water instead of hot water. And try to stay out of the heat as much as possible for a few weeks following the surgery.

4. Don’t Blow Your Nose

If you ask a selection of parents, you’ll find at least a large percentage of them who are constantly coaching their children to blow their noses. Some of them may even find themselves reminding their kids to blow instead of sniff. Maybe you were even one of those kids yourself – one who didn’t like to blow their nose or had trouble figuring out how to blow instead of sniff. It’s such a common experience that it can feel very strange as an adult to be told not to blow your nose. But during your rhinoplasty recovery time, you’re going to get this instruction.

It’s even more complicated because you’re definitely going to feel like blowing your nose after the surgery. It’s that swelling again – it exists in your nasal passages as well, and it will make you feel clogged and congested. But you just can’t blow after surgery. You can use a saline spray to moisturize the inside of your nostrils and ease the discomfort, however.

Along the same lines, you also shouldn’t sneeze through your nose after surgery. Sure, sneezing is involuntary, so it’s not like you can just not do it. But you can redirect your sneezes through your mouth instead of your nose as much as possible.

5.Make Healthy Choices

There are things that don’t have much to do with your nose directly but do have to do with your body’s health overall, including its immune system and ability to recover from surgery. Those things include resting, eating healthily, avoiding smoking, and paying attention to your body’s signals.

When you’re resting is when your body heals itself. Don’t try to just power through your regular routine during your rhinoplasty recovery time – doing so doesn’t make you stronger or better. Get plenty of rest.

Eat the things that your body needs in order to heal. That includes protein, preferably from lean meats or from healthy non-meat sources like:

• Tofu
• Edamame
• Beans
• Lentils
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Grains

You also need vitamins, particularly Vitamin C, which is vital to the production of collagen that you need after surgery, and Vitamin A, which boosts your immune system and helps you fight off potential post-surgical infections.

Speaking of your immune system, smoking has a definite negative impact on your immune system, and your ability to heal your medical team will probably ask you to avoid it post-surgery. Listen to them! It’s not just about your long-term health in this situation (though smoking effects that too); it’s about preventing infections in the post-surgical period.

Finally, pay attention to what your body’s telling you. You should follow your doctor’s orders and listen to what they have to say about your rhinoplasty recovery time, but you know your own body, and you know how you feel. If something seems wrong to you, or your recovery experience doesn’t match up with what your doctor says should be happening, you need to let them know right away.

Pearl Recovery Retreat can help you through the post-surgical period after the rhinoplasty. Look into what we can do for you during this time.