Recovering from septoplasty surgery

Thanks, both of you. It will be one week tomorrow, so I guess this is day # 7. The doc had told me that most people who have the surgery on Wednesday go back to work on Monday....that was why I had the surgery done over our Fall Break (even though I had a TON of school work to do - no, these aren't resting, relaxful, or even PAID days off..). And I didn't find out I neede this surgery until two weeks before school began...which is why I didn't have it in the summer - but we are required to go to many workshops, and I spent well over 100 hours of my own time doing school stuff....but that's beside the point...ha!

Anyway, I did get a different type of saline bottle, and it has made a huge difference. I can't believe all the stuff that continues to come out of my sinuses. I'm still fighting headaches, though...and LOTS of sinus pressure. (at least my upper lip is no longer swollen, although the upper pallette is still numb).

About the days off, I did end up asking for the Monday and Tuesday off from school (today is Tuesday, so I'm home), but I'm going back tomorrow. I'm not as strong as I need to be (because I haven't felt like eating), and I'm still getting way too much ugly stuff coming out of my nose and mouth to be around little kids (too gross, y'know!)

I might try lying down flatter, instead of sleeping more upright....will try that.
oh, and I am finding that wearing my glasses is putting pressure on my nose and making it uncomfortable....but I not only had the septoplasty but ethmoidectomy (bilateral)....so that's probably the reason.

Thanks for the encouragement, and I will come back and let you know how I'm doing. (I am dreading playing my flute and piccolo, though....haven't tried it yet, but dread it!)

thanks...blessings...robin

Another update already....One week ago today was my surgery.
Because I have been faithful in using the saline rinse (AND the right kind of bottle now - NeilMed, I believe is the kind I'm using - WHAT a difference this is making!!!!!), I am feeling SO much better. A bit light-headed at times, but oh, SO much better.

I went back to school today, and was greeted with shrills of "Mrs. E., you're back!!!!" and lots of hugs (I'd only been gone for two days...ha!)
I did my rinse at school three times (when I wasn't with kiddos.

AND tonight, I had orchestra rehearsal and played my flute and piccolo without a hitch!!! Absolutely NO problem at all.

I did have a headache today though....awoke with it, and got it back again alter in the day. Tylenol didn't cut it, so had to take fioricet (my go-to-meds for my bad headaches). But I've had NO allergy meds (except singulair and advair, which are more my asthma meds) or sudafed since a week yesterday.

I'm going to try to sleep tonight with my head lower (didn't take the chance last night).

Just thought I'd update again.....since each day now is seeming to make a difference......

(if you're reading this and just come from surgery, do NOT waste time or money on little bottles of salin such as "ocean"....go for the NeilMed...amazing the difference!!!)

blessings...robin

thommo: Good on you Robin. 1 week and youre doing some of the normal things you did pre op. Maybe yourheadaches are tro do with your asthma issues? I guess you had headache issues prior to the surgery? That coupled with the pain and recovery has compounded them?

Down here in Australia we get a box of sachets for our saline rinsing. It also contaons instructions and the douching vessel. I think there was 100 sachets? Like little salt sachets you get in Maccas. 1 per the small plastic mug that I was using. Pour the sachet into the mug, fill 9/10 with room temp. previously boiled water, stir, put in microwave for 30 seconds (I think that was the setting), head off to the bathroom, watch the goobies come out!! lol.

You get into a routine and I did all the prep work at the kitchen sink where I had all the little bits I needed on the window ledge. Handy to the microwave too. Might be a bit longer process than your system, but probably alot cheaper and you can use table salt if you run out the Doc told me. I used the lot by the end of the 4-5 weeks.

Glad youre able to play the flute etc., so that must be a relief. As I said, each couple of days it gets a bit better (as youre already experiencing).

Hello all! Two days ago Thursday I had septoplasty surgery, submucous resection inferior turbinate and nasal endoscopy. Not sure if I have all the medical terms right or not but I know there was a list of them. So anyway, the surgery was completed and was successful (as far as I know). The doctor told my fiance that she had to place two splints into my nose even though it wasnt part of the plan originally. So here I am three days after the surgery and I have this awful gauze thing strapped to my nose to hold back all the blood and guck. Well, I cant breath through my nose at all because of all this guck build up. I am guessing I need to clean this out and start using that saline spray asap. There are alot of clots to pull out. Should I be pulling these out or just spraying them with the saline?

 

Thommo: Your fiancee had to put the splints in? WTF? Lazy ass surgeon or what? Classic! What country are you in? Glad the surgery was a "success" (bit hard for anyone to tell only 4 days in though).

Yes saline your hooter 3 or 4 times a day as soon as you get home from the surgery. I did. Most others did too. REALLY helps and is what the surgeon says you must do religislously. With splints I'm not sure though. Only 1 way to find out. Check with your fiancee, who it appears is your surgeon now! lol. Or try the real thing.....YOUR real surgeon. When are you going back to have a check up and get the splints removed?

The gauze thing may take longer for you, as Ive read on here and other sites, that it's a week for the splints and sometimes when theyre removed it bleeds a bit more, so the gauze moustache may be required in your case a bit longer.

Take care and let people know how youre going, but hey we are internet idiots, take advice from Docs (or your fiancee it seems!).

 

Thommo you become a Doctor of Septoplasty surgery or after care of septoplasty really your advice is helpfull for every one iam really inspired from your comments.

Thanks Vetphar. We are all trying to help each other. Everyone has something to offer albeit small or large. I read pages and pages of info before the op, so am happy to keep this rolling along as I think it helps a bit. Even if it helps someone a tiny bit, that's good enough. It can be damn scary going into a big operation, as most have thought. Me too! Someone that's already done so is invaluable if they can get their message across. What's your latest? How long since your op?

Thommo Arround 1 and half month now its alomst ok and i feel ok no problem you help me a lot

It will be two weeks tomorrow.....the headache on day 9 was due to my left side being totally blocked by gunk. My ENT has his patients return on day 3 and day 10 for cleansing/suctioning. He had a really hard time with the left side (which is where my horrible headache was.)

I accidentally bent over at school on day 8 and 9, and thought my cheeks would explode.

On day 12 I awoke with no headache and my nose was completely clear.

However, this is day 14, and I am completely congested with a headache again.....have done my saline three times already and lots of gunk has come out.

Still having to sleep elevated....lying down has made things worse.

My ENT put in NO packing and NO stints....just a few little sutures.
I go back for a three week post-op visit....

so far, so good....just wish I could breathe 24/7 and be headache free :)

blessings...robin

Gosh... I am 100% sympathetic. I also had high fever for the first three days. I am now on my sixth day and see actual signs of recovery. Washing my nose thoroughly ( 4 times a day) with nasal irrigation devices has been very helpful ! Do that! Hang in there!

Vethpar,  could you kindly  tell us how does your nose breath one month after surgery? It would be of great support to learn that all this discomfort leads to good results....

Attilio from Italy

Go back and read my account or several others on here.  After 1 month you are virtually home free.:-D Breathing fine. Maybe a tiny bit blocked, but actually better than when you went in for the procedure(s).

I'm back with my update....I am now one month and three days out from my surgery. I think I can declare my surgery a SUCCESS!!!!
I had no packing and no splints....just a few stitches due to having the septum filed down.

I have had fewer headaches now, and am no longer needing sudafed. I used to take 10-12 sudafed for relief for the sinus pressure in my head and jaws, and now most days I take nothing!

I awoke a couple of days ago breathing so clear I couldn't believe it!!

I also smelled something yesterday for the first time in years!!!

I went back to my ENT for my one month follow up, and he was very pleased. He had to remove the stitches, because they hadn't dissolved. He said the holes looked amazing, because before there was nothing. My voice has changed now, too.

I am still doing the nasal rinse with saline solution and he asks his patients to do this for 10 weeks 3x a day. I admit I'm only doing it twice a day, but I do it twice in a row (getting 16 oz instead of 8 oz).

He said that for long term success, I should do the rinse every morning.

Anyway, for those just having surgery...be patient. I know I wasn't.
I am so glad I finally had this surgery done. It wasn't nearly as bad as I had envisioned...I just hope and pray it has LONG term last results!

blessings...robin

I am 6 days from my septoplasty and I feel great! The first few days were a little rough with the post-anethesia and hydrocodone making me bats**t crazy. Surprisingly, I have been able to manage with extra-strength Tylenol and Orajel for the tooth pain. The first few days it felt like a possessed troll was trying to dig his way out with a dull pickaxe, but that has subsided. Apparently, there is a nerve ganglion that innervates the upper jaw just behind the nasal structures, and it is not uncommon that the swelling causes some neuropathy. THIS IS TRANSIENT. I have been rinsing with warm saline and a bulb syringe religiously, and that has helped. Also, at least for the first 3 days, use a nasal spray with at least 0.1% oxymetazoline. It made a huge difference in reducing the bleeding due to the vasoconstrictive effect. Couldn't have made it without it! Even now with the splints still in, I can still breathe better than pre-septoplasty. Just a warning for those who have not yet had the procedure, the mucus is disgusting. There really is not better way to describe it. At some point, you will have rinsed every color of the rainbow out of your nose, and then some that you didn't even know existed, but trust me, the surgery is worth it. Even with the splints, it is still easier to clear my nose than prior to the surgery. (I had a 90+% blockage that was congenital and totally missed for 30 years! I would have thought that somewhere between the 20th and 30th sinus infection that an PCP would have checked. I had to self refer to an ENT to get it checked. REMEMBER!! You are your own best advocate in your healthcare!) A previous poster said something about keeping busy, and I whole heartedly agree! It definitely helps distract from the pain. I get the splints out tomorrow, so I will post more later. To sum up, use nasal spray, rinse religiously, and keep as busy as you can.

Had septo, rhino and sinuses done 4 weeks ago today. I was almost 100% blocked in one nostril and about 50% the other. Four weeks on the fully blocked is almost fully open but still has some swelling. The 50% side is similar but maybe slightly more swollen. I think this is because the stitches were tied off on this side. Overall I the process has been great and not too painful. Yes it did hurt quite a bit for a few days but easily controlled with medication. I have alot of numbness in the nose pasticularly on the tip. The tip is also very hard. I understand that it can take up to 12 months for all swelling to go down and the nose to get back to normal. Be patient. Today I was extremely uncomfortable - not pain but a pressure where it feels like someone is squeezing my nose. Annoying but i suspect some nerves are starting to heal.

When I had the operation four weeks ago, my breathing was immediately better once the plugs came out. First time in 30 years I could breathe properly.

Today i walked on the top of a wall - four weeks ago I would have had vertigo and today nothing. Not sure if its linked or not (sounds like it is). Has anyone else experienced this?

Yes only four weeks on but I would definitely have it again without pause.