Recovering from septoplasty surgery

I too had read the horror stories about the post operative happeinings. The procedure was done with a general anaesthetic  I was sore  in the recovery  room, my upper jaw being quite painful until they gave me some morphine. That was the only time I needed it.  Any cuts and stitches were inside the nose.

I am now 3 weeks and  five days post op.  Feeling better every day.I stayed over night in the hospital and the next morning the packing was removed. Not pleasant but not to bad. It was more the anticipation  of what it might be.  The drip catching dressing under the nose was very necessary, just for a few days and then things improved.  My nose was a bit swollen and discoloured but no black eyes. 

The first week was not pleasant and sleeping sitting up  in a comfortable chair was the only way I could manage.  I took paracetamol as  needed.

However the removal of the splints eight days after surgery was not a problem.  It was done in the Dr's rooms. The Dr. sprayed the inside of my nose with a local anaesthetic and very gently removed the splints and stitches,  He then sucked   out gunk that was there with a small elecric instrument.   There was no pain or  even any discomfort and No mess.  I then lay still for about 10/15 mintues with small pads in my nose  to  make sure there was no bleeding. There wasn't.  and that was it.  Yes, it did ache a bit after the anaesthetic, but some panadol f  xed that.  For the next week I washed the area out regularly with a saline solution and each day there was less need.

Now for the first time in many years I can breath freely, and it is still improving.  I'm told that the remaining swelling may last for perhaps another month.  Not bad for someone who turned 77 a week before having the surgery.  I wish I had had the courage to have it earlier, however I'm sure methods have improved in recent years so perhaps I'm lucky.  Incidentally this was done in Melbourne, Australia.   We have some very fine E.N.T. surgeons and the Anaesthetist was excellent too.

I go back in a couple of weeks for the Dr. to check that things are ok.  That will be five weeks after surgery.

 

Hi pal! I am sorry for your slow recovery but am thankful to hear someon else is having the same problem as I am. I had the same surgery as you and expected immediate improvbement in breathing afte the packing was removed r 5 days after surgery. I am now in my 9th day after surgery and am wondering if I will ever be able to breath nortmally. Frank;ly I am depressed. My son had the same surhgery last year and could breath very well immediately after the packing was removed. I will say a prayer for both of us.

Bob, Sorry to hear about your slow recovery. I was "guest" from 3/16. I went for my 4 week check up feeling pretty good with just a little stuffiness on the left side which had been the one the was blocked from the deviated septum. The doctor looked up there and saw a huge scab which I didn't notice because it was too deep. He numbed the area and pulled the scab out and I noticed a huge improvement. Both sides now seem normal and I feel great! Best thing I ever did! My main problem was headaches, which occurred 3 to 4 times a week. Since then, I have not had any so for me this was a huge success story. My breathing through the nose is wonderful. Didn't know how it was that bad since I've lived with it all my life!

I checked in for surgery at 9am and left the hospital at 2pm after the hiv wore off. Coming home for the first night was just a pain, I didn't have any packing just the plastic in my nose. I would have to change the cotton bandage at least every hour due to all the blood from my nose. I felt a headache and my eyes were very dry. It was so hard to eat and even drinking a cup of water required energy. Not to mention the sleeping conditions were brutal and would only sleep 2 hours at a time. The second night I got a blood clot in my nose which was just horrible, I saw my doctor immediately the next morning and he cleaned out what he could (which was very painful) he then inserted two dissolve packs in my left nostril which hasnt stopped the bleeding. Here I am on my 3 day and my nose is full of tension and dried blood. It still leaks blood. I only have pain medication nothing to clean my nose. Its just horrible I hate it so much, I wish I never got this done I would have been better off before. If you dont need this, then dont do it. Doctors will only tell you they recommend it because they receive money for doing the operation. 

I had turbinate surgery two weeks ago. Since then i've had a lot of congestion, still snore, left nostril still seems closed, loss of taste/smell. Is this nomal?

I had nasal septum surgery 10 months ago, and I have never suffered so bad in all my life...I would not advise anyone to have this. I still can not breathe you can't touch my nose its so sore after ten months i am assuming it is malpractice and surgery gone bad!

I totally had a different experience, so it must depend on the doctor. I am two months post surgery and am doing great! I use to have headaches 3 to 4 times a week, now have none. I haven't taken a tylenol or advil since the surgery and use have to take these all the time. Would do it again in a heartbeat, though the first two days are pretty rough not being able to breath though the nose.

Just got a turbinate reduction, mucousal and septo resection and ethmoidectomy six days ago. No packing/stents post op. overall pain pre and post op 3/10...And i am so lucky to be feelin' AMAZING! This procedure was definitely nerve wracking for me personally since it was my first surgery ever...and even moreso after reading these fourms going into the surgery. However, as a chronic sinusitis sufferer since I was six, the long term benefits definitely outweighed my trepidations. As a fulltime university student, I was concerned with recovery time but doctor had told me not to worry to much and that I'd heal and be up on my feet within 2-3 days...and she was right! Day 1: surgery lasted from about 10am-2pm. Pretty much did not remember even getting knocked out since I pulled an all nighter prior to surgery to study for a midterm (definitely don't recommend staying up). A friend picked me up post surgery. I was quite wobbly on my feet and had pain in my maxillary sinuses but hydrocodone took care of that quite well. Immediately after arriving home I could already feel the difference- though there was pressure, my face wasn't swollen anymore like it used to be! Overall, bleeding didn't seem too bad during the day, but at night I made the mistake of bending past my waist and my nose became non-stop bloody faucet for two hours until I called the clinic and ran and grabbed some Afrin from CVS. Slept with tissues stuffed up my nose- mouth breathing was irritating esp with lingering pain from the breathing tube in my throat. To ease this, I woke up to sip water every so often but still slept pretty well propped up on 3 pillows. Day 2: Could breathe a little alternating sides (past all the blood and moisture in my nose) I basically slept all day long. Nasally irrigated with neilmed sinus wash in the morning and got rid of a lot of blood. Nose still dripped blood throughout the day, but the pain meds definitely helped me stay asleep, even with mouth breathing. Also made sure to use ocean spray every 3-4 hours to keep everything from scabbing over and making it even more difficult to try and breathe. attempted to eat small meals with my medications, but could only stomach cereal and soup. Day 3: attempted to go back to class in the morning...which didn't work. General anesthesia had me feeling more out of it than I thought it would have. Same regimen as day 2 but was able to breathe even better than before and started drying up/ clotting blood in my nose. Spitting up the clots is probably the trickiest part- WHICH IS SO IMPORTANT OR YOU WILL HAVE THE WORST NAUSEA! Sinus washes also help so so much with getting gunk out! By nighttime I was feeling much better, my nose had stopped dripping and I went to a concert at night with some friends. Day 4: Breathing almost back to better than normal! My nose was drying (not in an uncomfortable way though) Swelling of my nose was pretty much all gone as well as any minor swelling of my sinuses (which used to always be painful and puffy). Blood clots when I did nasal irrigation in the morning. I drove for the first time, though definitely fatigued. I had reduced my hydro intake to just half a pill...but not sure what part of the antibiotics,steroids or sprays but I was noticeably on edge (feeling belligerent) for most of the day, but felt better after eating. Day 5: CAN BREATHE!! (but can feel minor obstruction way up in my nose). Overall, minimal pain/ blood all day, I blew my nose very very gently while doing nasal irrigation and felt a lot better. I spent a lot of the day outside doing homework and noticed improved allergy symptoms, which usually are unbearable even with oral and nasal medications, though there was pollen blanketing literally every surface! At night I went to a rave with some friends and was completely fine the whole night and this morning. All in all, I think even though it's early to say, I can already feel the benefits to getting this surgery! Pretty excited to get everything cleaned out endoscopically at my post op appointment on wednesday. I just wanted to share my positive experience with those of you out there who are worrying the way I did before my surgery. Everyone heals differently- you never know how your post op situation will turn out. So long as you meticulously follow post op direction of cleaning, spraying and taking The prescribed medications, hopefully there won't be too many complications. I hope that your surgery will leave you too with the quality of life (and breathing) that we all deserve!

I had septoplasty, ethmodial sinus put in on right and left nostrils, operation on antrum both sides, intranasal both sides and reduction of inferior turbinate both sides and to top it all off a Nasendoscopy.

Now if you think you are in pain try what I had. I had a terrific recovery and overnight stay in hospital, as I am on warfarin, but home was fine. Off to bed with a terrific headache but still felt this was good considering.

I am now at day 4 and the medication at home has increased as has the head pressure. Sinus headaches in a big way. Using ice packs, recliner chair, warm showers, saline washes and plenty of pain killers every four hours. Everyone just leave me along to wallow in pain and I will be fine.

I have had the use of one nostril for the best part of 40 years so I am more than happy, I am lying really, to put up with the pain as I know that I will soon be able to breathe normally and become more active again.

Hang in there everyone, what is 2 weeks of discomfort, pain, compared to not being able to breathe and hopefully the added bonus of not having chronic sinus and everything that goes with it.

 

o.O  dang @Nannyjoan, I feel so bad for you!!!!  It was hard for me to just have a rhinoplasty and septoplasty!!!!!!Stay strong!!!

Thank you. I had a really painful weekend with lots of relining and ice packs plus 4 hourly Codine Forte (Australian prescription strong medication). Monday saw some light in the tunnel and I have conquered most of the pain now.
Today, Tuesday I haven't taken any medication and the nasal rinses are now clear. Not out of the woods yet as my nose feels so stuffed up I can't breathe. Oh for a good night's sleep. Thank you for your support. How are you doing?

i don't recommend anybody to have a surgery for their nose because i had two surgeries for my enlarged turbinates & my deviated septum at the 1st one it made me breathe only from my right side because they failed to correct my deviated septum so i had to do another one after 3 months so i did it & i swear to god my breathing got worse a hundred times than before instead of getting better! sometimes i feel am choking when am asleep & i cant even talk properly i have a post nasal drip that is making me feel suffocating along with a very bad nausea god its hell, i advice so not to even think about it try so endure the discomfort that ur having at least u are used to it!!!!

I have just come back from surgery i had on the 22-4-13 it is now 4am of the 23rd April. The surgery went well, I had a septoplasty and my tonsils removed at the same time. I didn't sleep at all the night before I went in so I basically slept all afternoon in hospital, which I'm pretty happy about because when I first woke up after surgery I wasn't feeling comfortable at all and was in slight pain which made me feel anxious, however I drifted off to sleep again pretty quickly and didn't wake up until 3pm (surgery was at 8am) I am home now and apart from feeling stuffed up in the nose with this gauze mat under my nose and only being able to breath through my mouth (although its hard to swallow at this point due to tonsillectomy) there is no real pain. There apparently is still a long way to go in recovery from what i've read and heard but I am hoping to be able to go back to work this week. I haven't had to use any pain killers yet but obviously since its so early in the morning I haven't been able to sleep properly yet since i've returned home. Best of luck to anyone getting this surgery, I needed mine because I had a deviated septum from an assault a year ago and I have had trouble breathing through my nose, especially during sleep which has caused me to have restless or really light sleeping which has been draining my energy during the day for the last year. 

I just spoke with a dr. yesterday about this...I don't know if this is the same surgery I would be having b/c it sounds like you all were able to go home.  she has me staying in icu for 7 to 10 days?  I have a hole in my septum and will have surgery on it soon.  The cartilage and tissue is taken from the wrist and placed in the nose then a line for a blood supply goes from the nose down to the artery in your neck.  Is this what you guys are talking about?  She made it sound like this is a very very long recovery.  I would be in icu a week then home for 4 to 6 weeks and a 50% chance it would not work.  Is this what you had done anybody?...everybody?  

i am wondering why my doctor has opted to remove my gauze packing in seven days and i keep reading in blogs that they had gauze removed in 1, 2 anf 3 days after sugery does any one know why oh and also was anyone packing in so very tight that it caused severe pain and showed a bumb at the nose ?