what kind of scaring have you recieved from this kind of surgert

Thanks to the anesthesia, I wasn't scared at all. Ha ha.

I know you mean "scarring". There was no external scarring at all. All the work was done through the nostrils.

How long was your recovery time?

Hi Lisa,
My doc said 1-2 months for a full recovery. I'm just over 1 month now and about 80% healed. It comes and goes, but it's a LOT better. I encourage the surgery.

I work in an office, and I want to schedule my surgery for a weekend, do you think most people can go back to work in 4 days? I am also a little scared of going under anestesia, how long did the surgery take,and when did you wake up? I have so many question..thank you

Hi Lisa,
My surgery was on a Wednesday and I felt OK after a couple of days- I could have worked I suppose. There wasn't much pain, really.

It was outpatient and started around 7:30 Am and I was home by 11. No sweat. Hope this helps..

I have chronic sinus infection and sleep apnea.I had a car accident when i was 18 and my nose is crooked.I saw an ENT and he will perform a ct scan.Seems like the surgery is worth having.Looks like its been a month since you had surgery.How are YU doing NOW?

Hi Renny,
I'm doing really well. I've had a couple of nosebleeds, but nothing big. My breathing is much improved, but I think I'm still healing. It comes and goes.

Now I'm trying to get out of the habit of constantly breathing through my nose- its hard.

I do encourage the surgery, especially if your nose went through trauma that affected your breathing.

i'm getting deviated septum surgery in july and i'm really nervous. mine is pretty bad - i can't even smell anything. i'm wondering how painful it is and how long it took for the bruising and scarring to go away... thanks a lot.

I'm not sure mine was the same surgery as you will have. Mine was done through the nostril. No visible scarring or bruising. It took about 2 months for a full recovery. I experienced very little pain- mostly irritation. Hope this helps.

Hey all, I went through with my surgery last Friday. I am back at work today, but only because I had to be. I am not driving myself now because I am still grogy from pain medicine. I am having more pain from my neck from lying in bed elevating my head, wow, my neck is really sore. My doctor did not use splints, so I can breath through my nose occasionally. It was a bit scarry when I woke up from surgery with my nose covered in gauze. I wanted to rip it out. But I stayed calm and got used to it. I breath better now during my recovery stage than I did before surgery. So I am glad I went through with it. I hate recovery time from anything. I was allergic to the first regemin of pain medicine "percocet" it made me feel hung over and very itchy. So they changed it, I reccommemd resting for a week, any surgery needs recovery time to heal and not get infection.

Hi, I am scheduled to have this surgery on July 9th and am very nervous about it. I think I am most nervous about going under general anesthesia because I am not sure that's what I did when I got my wisdom teeth taken out and I've heard it can make you sick. I have a big fear of vomiting, so I am very nervous about the whole situation. Did you swallow alot of blood during your surgery? I have read that happens sometimes. Were you having any headaches before your surgery? That is the main reason I am having the surgery-to try to prevent the daily headaches/migraines I have. Any comments would greatly help. Thanks!

Hi Rachel, this is from Lisa, I hope Lee does not mind if I answer this one too.. I was also afraid of general anestesia. But let me assure you that if you are young and healthy, you have nothing to worry about. I asked them to give me something for the anxiety before the surgery while I was waiting, and the anestesiologist was glad to accomodate. You don't even realize the point when you went to sleep. It is nothing really. Let the anesstesiologist now that you are concerned about getting sick after surgery, they will put something in the IV to help that. I was not sick at all,what actually made me nauseas (hope I spelled that right) was the percocet they gave me for pain, so they changed it to Darvocet on the second day after surgery. I had the surgery mostly for helping migraines. My doctor could not promise that it would work, but because many of my headaches originated on the right side of my nose/eye, where my septum was the most "abnormal" and closed up, he said I had a good chance of helping those types of headaches. I still expect the occassional monthly hormonal stress headaches, and I will take Imitrex for that, but I was having so many other allergy, sinus migraines that I was concerned about the imitrex usage, it was starting to not work on those headaches anymore...hope this help. Thank Lefever for your website! My name is Lisa LaFaver, and my friends call me Lee, wierd huh?

Hi Rachel, this is from Lisa, I hope Lee does not mind if I answer this one too.. I was also afraid of general anestesia. But let me assure you that if you are young and healthy, you have nothing to worry about. I asked them to give me something for the anxiety before the surgery while I was waiting, and the anestesiologist was glad to accomodate. You don't even realize the point when you went to sleep. It is nothing really. Let the anesstesiologist now that you are concerned about getting sick after surgery, they will put something in the IV to help that. I was not sick at all,what actually made me nauseas (hope I spelled that right) was the percocet they gave me for pain, so they changed it to Darvocet on the second day after surgery. I had the surgery mostly for helping migraines. My doctor could not promise that it would work, but because many of my headaches originated on the right side of my nose/eye, where my septum was the most "abnormal" and closed up, he said I had a good chance of helping those types of headaches. I still expect the occassional monthly hormonal stress headaches, and I will take Imitrex for that, but I was having so many other allergy, sinus migraines that I was concerned about the imitrex usage, it was starting to not work on those headaches anymore...hope this help. Thank Lefever for your website! My name is Lisa LaFaver, and my friends call me Lee, wierd huh?

Thanks so much Lisa! Your situation sounds like mine with the migraines over the eye. Did the surgery help decrease them? Were you also having daily headaches? Did you swallow alot of blood during surgery(from it running down your throat)? That grosses me out. My doctor didn't promise anything, but said we had tried all other options and that surgery was the next step. Percocet makes me sick too, so I know to tell them not to give me that for pain! Thank you for you help!

Just got this done today also and my wife found this webpage for me. The doctor told my wife that I have one the worst deviated septums he has ever seen.

How is your recovery going? How long did you have to lay on the couch not doing much? I was told 1 to 2 weeks.

Hey Mike and Rachel,
This is Lisa. I don't know if Rachel had her surgery yet, but I hope it went well. I did not swallow blood, I think it was because my doctor did not use packing after surgery. He left a gauze taped under nose to catch any blood, and I changed it often, I was also told to keep it very moist with saline at least 4 times a day, peroxide swabs, and neosporin antibiotic cream. This has helped me heal fast. Your lip may be numb and stiff for awhile. I am three weeks post operation and I am just able to whistle and kiss my husband..ha. Be carefull not to get a head butt from pets or kids. I am a mother of a two year old, and that was very hard. Mike, I reccommend just doing nothing for two weeks. And after that get back into things slowly. Let me know how you all are doing! Lisa

Folks, it's great to see you using this page as a place to support one another. Please don't hesitate to keep going if you want...

I think I'm fully recovered now and it's been great. I sometimes take Allegra D and it really opens things up for me, but overall, I'm still glad I did it.

My Dad had a similar surgery, but had packing. I did not have packing and I'm thiankful- I'd hate that.

My son in-law is having deviated septum surgery tomorrow. They will also remove his tonsils and uvula. He is 51 yrs. old. How long will his recovery be, and what else can he expect in terms of recovery instructions? Doctor has not told him much of anything. I'm afraid having his tonsils out at that age will really prolong his recovery. Gail

Great inforamtion site on Septoplasty btw! I am 29 and an avid surfer about 2 1/2 to 3 years ago I smashed my face against my bodyboard and I wnet to the emrgency room they told me I dint break it but blood was everywhere, they said I tore some cartilage in my nose. Ever since then I cannot breath out of one nostril, and I can hardly smell anything til its very strong smelling, so basically I am like a 65 year old woman weraing too much Estee Lauder's beautiful lol....Anyways I want to have my nose examined and possibly have this surgery. How has everyone faired after surgery? What I really mean is has it really helped? I mean I dont want to waste my time or money on a wild goose chase, if nothing will help me. Whats the ratio or percentage of the surgery working? Ok thanks a lot guys/gals

CAN ANYONE HELP ME WITH THE APPROXIMATE COST OF THIS PROCEDURE? Am considering it myself.

Also - Did most of you have to go on a waiting list before you received your surgery? If so, for how long? I will only be in the States for a month or two.

Hey, I just got my surgery yesterday so I thought I'd let everyone know how it was. The doctor told my family that my nose is very small so it was challenging for him. They had to cut across my nostrils and pull my skin up because my deviation was close to the tip. Anyway, I have gauze and tape all over my nose, and two black eyes. It REALLY hurts right now even though I'm on paid meds. I suppose it's normal. I am super uncomfortable. There is either phlegm or blood in my throat, I dunno which but I keep swallowing it and it's gross. I'm groggy but I slept practically all day yesterday. My throat also hurts a little because they stuck a tube down it. I really just hope the pain goes away soon. It's not unbearable, but no one like pain. Ugh.

Any one here had their Surgery in the New York Metropolitan Area? If so - Any recommended Doctors? Cost?

Any one here had their Surgery in the New York Metropolitan Area? If so - Any recommended Doctors? Cost?

Hi, I am supposed to get this surgery before the end of the month and I'm really nervous about it. I am also going back to work Aug. 30. My question is, how long until the bruising and swelling go down? And how long do you wear the splint? Thanks!

well i got the surgery last thursday and i still have some bruising, the splint is still on, and i'm still bleeding quite a bit. but my face isn't very swollen. i think it'll take atleast two weeks to be good to go.

Thanks Jill, I'm hoping to get this done within a week or so, so it won't be too bad (I hope) before I go back to work.

Auren,
The surgery costs about $1500.00 and I had to schedule mine out about two weeks.

I had my surgery done in the United States and it cost $30,000. I paid a total of $3,000 after insurance. I had a septoplasty(deviated septum correction), turbinate reduction and all sinus cavities opened.

I had mine done 6 days ago, i am in a fair bit of pain, most seems to be near the end of my nose. when I lye on my side It feels like my nose is being pulled, does anyone else get this feeling. I am taken pain killers and like clock work every 4 hours I feel the pain setting back in

Hello again, thought I would give an up-date, this is now day 7 what a difference from yesterday to today. I feel prity good, hardly any pain. Still have small amounts of blood in my flem tho.... does any one else have this? also my nose still feels like it is pulling when I lay on my side, thats easy to fix...I just don"t.

Hi - I just found this site after being told I have to have this surgery. Several friends have told me that, even though I am not having a nose job at the same time, my nose will look different. That concerns me. Has anyone noticed a difference in how their nose looks (after all the swelling is gone)?

I just got devaited septum surgery yesterday in Philadelphia. So far, everything has gone as planned. The surgery took about an hour. My Dr. did'nt pack my nose. I experienced NO pain as I am taking pain killers every 4 hours. I have gauze under my nose to catch the occasional blood. No blood has dripped down my throat.

The most annoying part of this whole process is being pent up in the house waiting to recovery. I'm reading Mitch Albom to pass time...

I had sinus surgery in the beginning of July this year(they opened up all the sinuses, shrunk the turbinates, and correct the septum). However, every month for the past four months I have been getting sick. It's a fever/cold/ear infection type thing that knocks me out for a full week each time and has to be treated with antibiotics. I thought that after surgery you were supposed to get sick LESS, not more. Does anyone know if this is normal?

I had sinus surgery almost two weeks ago and I feel much better. But for the past few days I have been getting these large blood clots in my left nostril. It really bothering me and it affects my breathing on that side. I can feel when one is there and I have to blow to get it out (which im not supposed to do). Did anyone else have anything like this happen or know if this is normal or should I see my ENT?

It's day six after my surgery and I still cannot get any significant airflow through any of my nostrils. I have large scabs in there and they are annoying. I'll be going out of the house today for the first time in a few days. I'm completely off the pain medicine, because I'm not feeling any pain at all.

Rachel - I'm pretty sure that you are not supposed to be getting sick that often. I know that when I take too many atibotics, my body gets used to them and I get sick more often. When I feel a cold coming on, I just take lots of vitiam c, and a muilti vitamin. I think antibotics can actualy lower your bodies resistance.

I'm visting my ENT doctor on Thursday this week. I'm thinking that my breathing may start to be better before than, as long as these scabs disappear.

Hi all. Here's my $.02. Just had a septoplasty and terbinate reduction done three days ago. My septum was characterized as being "severely deviated." For those of you wondering what you have to look forward to, here's the straight scoop: I was back at work the second day. The surgery itself was a piece of cake. They keep you pretty zonked out doing the procedure. In my opinion, the toughest part comes the next day when they pull the packing pulled out your poor raw schnozz. Yowza! It's like some kind of bizarre medival torture. After that it's relatively smooth sailing. One tip though: After surgery your nostrils will become lined with the most enormous, crustiest boogers you've ever had in your life. No kidding, they feel like tumbleweeds. You MUST NOT PICK THEM however. You will be given instructions how to "irrigate" your nostils with a saline solution to gently wash them out. The good news is that I'm noticing an improvement in airflow already. Good luck.

Hi all. Here's my $.02. Just had a septoplasty and terbinate reduction done three days ago. My septum was characterized as being "severely deviated." For those of you wondering what you have to look forward to, here's the straight scoop: I was back at work the second day. The surgery itself was a piece of cake. They keep you pretty zonked out doing the procedure. In my opinion, the toughest part comes the next day when they pull the packing out your poor raw schnozz. Yowza! It's like some kind of bizarre medival torture. After that it's relatively smooth sailing. One tip though: After surgery your nostrils will become lined with the most enormous, crustiest boogers you've ever had in your life. No kidding, they feel like tumbleweeds. You MUST NOT PICK THEM however. You will be given instructions how to "irrigate" your nostils with a saline solution to gently wash them out. The good news is that I'm noticing an improvement in airflow already. Good luck.

Hi Friend,
My problem seems like u.
I have got problem with blockage of left nose before 5 yrs. I havent given attention and keep breathing during neight one by right nose. But after 4 yrs one day I felt I got problem with breathing and now problem is so serious that after 8 to 9 normal breathing I have to breath ie fast inhale through nose and exhale through mouth. Even I cannot sleep normal which is very irretating.
Is the problem assosicated with nose or is it concerned with cheast ie.lung.
Pls Do help....
Shyam Devade
India

Hi Friend,
My problem seems like u.
I have got problem with blockage of left nose before 5 yrs. I havent given attention and keep breathing during neight one by right nose. But after 4 yrs one day I felt I got problem with breathing and now problem is so serious that after 8 to 9 normal breathing I have to breath ie fast inhale through nose and exhale through mouth. Even I cannot sleep normal which is very irretating.
Is the problem assosicated with nose or is it concerned with cheast ie.lung.
Pls Do help....
Shyam Devade
India

I had laser terbinate reduction but it did'nt work. The doctor has recommended septorhinoplasty a 3 hour operation. I have had a deviated septum as long as I can remember and I am now 47.I am thinking of going ahead with the surgery but am scared, it is about facing my fears as much as being able to breath properly.Just wanted to post to share the experience and talk with anybody who has similar experiences.

I had this surgery on Friday morning and it is Sunday afternoon. My nose was packed and those first two days and I was so uncomfortable. Vicoden helps a ton and when the packing is removed the pain level drops 90% The doctor commented to my parents how difficult my nose was to fix so hopefully I notice a difference when the swelling and bloody mucus boogers go away. This is by no means a basic surgery and I wish it would have been outlined better in the consultation. Make sure you know what kind of pain meds work for you and plan on sleeping for at least 2 days and you will be fine! Feel free to email me with any questions about my experience!

I underwent a septoplasty, turbinate reduction and endoscopic sinus surgery three days ago. The worst part was the nasal packing (terribly uncomfortable!), which was fortunately removed a half hour after I awoke in the recovery room. I think that people's reactions to the surgery vary, depending on which sinuses are being operated on (in my case, the ethmoid and the maxillary) and the physical condition of the patient. I was out of it the first day, experiencing heavy bleeding (out my nose and down my throat) until 10pm the first night. Now I am full of "crusties", but I am irrigating my nose with saline every couple of hours. Otherwise, I don't even need the pain medication they prescribed for me, and I feel as if I can go back to work tomorrow. Although I'm stuffy, I am still breathing better through my left nostril than I was before the septoplasty.
I do wish that my doctor had been more informative about the whole proceedure, and would recommend that people thinking about having it done should take a list of questions to their doctor directly.

I have heard that people should follow this proceedure by seeing an allergy specialist to make sure that no further problems develop, which I'm going to do next week.

I'm curious to hear how some of the people who were posting that they had just had the surgery a year ago are doing now.

Today is Friday... I saw the ENT this last Monday and was told I had a deviated septum. I was in shock as I went there thinking I had polyps. (I had an old allergist tell me so) Well supposedly he was wrong! So I didn't have questions as I wasn't prepared to hear that about my deviated septum. Currently I am breastfeeding and I feel I have to wait till I am done so the drugs don't effect my milk supply. But my biggest question that I didn't get to ask was how could this have happened? I was never in a car accident, or in a fight and had my nose broken. I wonder how long I have had this problem and I am frustrated that I have been living this way for so long without my normal physician even referring me to get this checked out. I referred myself because I was tired of just being put on nose spray after nose spray. I am starting to think that Family Physicians are good for NOTHING!

I think what happened with you is fairly normal. My Dr. was consistantly putting me on antibiotics for sinus infections. Luckily my mother is nurse and she recommended me to an ENT. The biggest concern of my ENT, mother and myself was the amount of antibiotics I was having to take. My regular DR. somehow thought nothing of it. My surgery was about 6 months ago now. I feel so much better and have only had one sinus infection, but considering I fly all the time and it used to be one a month, I think that the surgery was definitely worth it. The most important thing is to rinse your sinuses regularly. I did, and my ENT said I healed much faster than most.

Howdy. I just had surgery on my deviated septum on Friday, August 19th. Today is the 21st, and I feel lousy. I still have the packing in my nose. I can't breathe at all, and my nose feels like an open wound. I go back next Thursday to have all the packing pulled out of my nose. Please tell me it doesn't hurt, since I can't even imaging someone touching my nose at all, let alone pull out all that gunk. I am also having issues keeping my nose moist. Everytime I wake up from a nap, my nose and throat are very dry. The saline solution works for a bit, but when it's off to sleep again, I'm in the same boat. I think I'm either going to kick the humidifier on high, or sleep in the shower. Luckily, nose bleeds are a minimum and I'm able to go about my life, even though I can hardly talk. Maybe that's for the better. Thanks for the enjoyable website!

To all you folks who have had a septoplasty, are you happy with the results? Do you have less sinus trouble, i.e., infections, allergies, etc. I need your advice as I am seriously considering having this surgery in the near future.

Just had surgery on Monday, getting the packing out was by far the worst experience. I still can't breathe at all, but the pressure is starting to subside, I had a great deal of swelling. When does the swelling start to go away.

I had my surgery on Monday, the 29th. My deviated septum was corrected, four turbinates were reduced and a polyp was removed from one of my sinuses. It is now two days after surgery and I feel pretty good. Still some soreness in my nose and mouth, but otherwise I am bouncing back quickly. Since I am asthmatic my doctor only used a small gel packing on one side of my nose, so I am able to breathe just a little through the tube splints in my nose. I had the doctor give me something for the anxiety of not being able to breathe through my nose and that helped significantly. Good luck to all, this was a great site to find just before my surgery. Very reassuring. I just turned 61 last week, so this surgery is not only for the youngsters.

Hi. I am going for a septoplasty soon because of a deviated septum. Can anyone tell me how long the bruise/scars/bandaging last? I am a teacher and would like to know how long the kids will be staring at my nose! Thanks.

Hi Bet,
There is no scarring or bruising at all, but the first day or so you will have packing up there which is noticable. For me, the first three days I had packing and lots of bleeding, but then nothing after that. I had graduation four days after my surgery and everyone commented on how I looked completely fine.

Thanks for the info Jaime. I feel better now.

Just got the surgery done today. Everything went smooth and I am in a little pain. I don't like painkillers, so I'm taking 2 extra strength Tylenol, and I'm fine. The most sore parts on my body are my gums & throat (tubing), and neck & back. Not looking forward to getting the packing removed next week.

Hi,

I was just wondering if anyone here could help me out. At 9 years old, I fell down one of those metal spiral fire escapes, and literally broke my entire *face*! My nose and right cheekbone were shattered and my nose was reconstructed. (I had plastic surgery at 9!) At the time, the surgeon told my mom that by 15, I'd most likely need surgery to correct my sinus problems that will undoubtedly arise. I am now 23 years old and have been addicted to nasal spray and sinus medication for the past 9 years - without the spray I PANIC. After knee surgery last year, I actually threatened my boyfriend with his life if he did not find me my nasal spray. I'm in South Africa, so the types are different here, but the nasal spray is called Iliadin, active ingredient being Oxymetazoline and Sinutabs with codeiene - bad combination. I have never seen an ENT since the fall, and don't know much about surgeries, etc. Is the surgery you speak of (deviated septum) one performed for sinus problems, or is there another type of "sinus op"? I don't feel that breathing through my nose is any easier through any nostril - both are constantly blocked. I've also heard that this surgery is not often successful, and I am petrified of the pain, and the time spent afterwards where I'm not able to breathe properly through my nose because of the bandages/pack that'll be inside. I've decided to make an appointment with an ENT surgeon, but I do not want to be misled, and find that advice from people who have been there is often more helpful than from surgeons wanting to cash in on another surgical procedure! Please help if you can! My nose is not crooked or anything...it may be very slightly deviated to one side, but nothing that is noticable.

With thanks as always,
Danielle

My son had surgery for a deviated septum and terminate reduction a week ago. He seemed to be progressing fine, but started bleeding a lot yesterday, 6 days after the surgery. The doctor removed the splints today and put packing in to stop the bleeding. Now I'm worried that the bleeding will start again when the packing is removed. The doctor said that surgery can be done to cauterize the spot that's bleeding if the packing doesn't help. Has this bleeding problem a week after surgery happened to anyone? The doctor says it's very rare for this to happen.

I have been suffering for 10 months with all the symptoms outlined. Extremely noisey wheezing at night. It is so bad I wake my self up several times during the night. Severe congestion,terrible headaches,non stop infections, nose runs like a faucet and I can't breathe through it all at the same time. Numerous antibiotics have been used, the latest, 1000 mg two times per day for three weeks. Now a week after I finished those antibiotics another round of the exact same thing but now he wants me to take it for 6 weeks. I have already been diagnosed with a deviated septum and severe sinutitus along with polyps in the nasal cavity. I do not understand what we are waiting for. Should I just ask my primary care physician to send me to a specialist with a referral for surgery? I am in a lot of pain and I just do not think I can deal with this much longer. If I do go in for the surgery on my deviated septum and removal of the polyps, is it possible for them to perform a rhinoplasty at the same time? I figure we could kill two birds with one stone that way. Please help! I need advise from someone who can answer some questions I have. Many thanks, MPeasley

I think I have a deviated septum, but am going to try to get up the courage to go to the doctor within the next few days to find out.

So on average, how many days will I be out, or not able to talk on the phone for work?

Can I do basic email and computer work from home?

Hi everybody! I was hit by a basketball and (you guessed it! Right on my nose!) I was about 12 years old. I am 52 now and am bothered by sinus problems, asthma, allergies, and most recently have lost my sense of smell and taste. Would the surgery help with getting my smell and taste back? As well as breathing better obviously! I am also partially deaf due to surgery last year for a benign brain tumor. So, I'm thinking what's next Lord?! I don't want to be all gloom and doom about this! Can anybody help? Thanks!

I had my surgery eight days ago. I had my deviated septum corrected, four turbinates reduced and several polyps removed from my sinuses. I went back to the surgeon this morning to have the tubes/splints removed. What a relief. I had a terrible time keeping the tubes open for the eight days they were in and when they were blocked I had a very difficult time. What saved me was I had asked the doctor before the surgery to prescribe an anti-anxiety drug. He prescribed Xanax and I took it each evening and it enabled me to go to sleep and get a decent night's sleep. I outlined my breathing problems in my August 29th entry. At times during the week after surgery I felt I would not do it again if I had the choice, but now I really feel it was worth the pain and anxiety. After the tubes were removed this morning I was able to breathe through my nose better than I can ever remember. It was like having two caverns to breathe through. I was euphoric. During the day today my sinsuses have oozed a little blood and other drainage, but I am still completely clear and breathing great. Find a good doctor, get the right medication prescribed for your recovery period and go for it.

i had surgery to correct my deviated septumn and also had turbinate reduction surgery.. pain was bad at first, but then i took the vicodin (7.5 every 4 hrs) and the pain isnt bad.. ice bag on your head every 30 mins for 30 mins to reduce headache and swelling.. i've been on the computer for a cpl hrs and feel ok.. have to change the gauze for the drip pad every 45 mins or so... not sure if I am getting better or worse but so far i feel okay.. nurse told me I'm not to drive by any means while on vicodin... i plan on taking them until the bleeding stops... anyone whos had this can give me some adviceon what to except next? as far as work.. I was covered under FMLA for paid time off..

has any ever had their wisdom teeth pulled

Thanks for creating this site.

I had my deviated septum corrected, and polyps removed from my sinuses on September 9, 2005. Its Tuesday now and I am glad to have pain medication handy. I still have splints in my nose and while they are helping me breath, they are the source of my biggest pain. Keeping the nose moist has also been a challenge. I was told to use an over the counter oil/moisturizer. I got it and it did help a bit. Ask your pharmacist they will know it is called Paneras oil.

Looking forward to pain free time...

I am having surgery monday sept 19th for my deviated septem. I am scared to death! I was told i would have packing in my nose for 4 days after..thats is going to be hard for me!!!!! This site has been very helpful to me today. I found a lot of answers to a lot of questions i had!!! I will check back and also inform others about my experience.

I too, have chronic sinus infections and a deviated septum that restricts air flow in my right nostril to approx. 30%. My biggest fear with respect to having surgery is the possibility of complications or mistakes as a result of incompetance. As a Canadian, I am embarrassed to say that our healthcare is not what it once was. Many doctors these days just don't seem to give a crap....they're indifferent and sloppy. The horror stories are endless. Maybe it's different in the states where you have options because you are paying...I don't know. Are there any Canadians posting on this site that might be able to recommend a good ENT ? I'm in the Toronto area.

I'm sorry, but I've heard such a wide variety of recovery times that I'm not sure what to think. I've heard two days, and I've heard 3 months. I can only do this surgery if I can do it on a Friday and go to work the following Monday without looking like I got hit by Mike Tyson.

Hey folks,
I'm glad this post is helping people. It seems like there are two different procedures/treatments being discussed.

I had terbinate reduction and septoplasty, yet I didn't have any packing at all. My receovery was easy and mostly painless. I don't know why my Dr. didn't go the packing route, but I'm thankful.

If I were "shopping" for Drs. who do this surgery, I would ask about non-packing options, as I had a great experience with it.

I had deviated septum surgery on Friday September 2, 2005. I exptected to be back to work by Wednesday September 7th-not happening! I still take prescription pain meds when I am at home and plenty of tylenol at work. I think anyone considering this surgery should plan on a minimun of 10 days rest.

I was messing around with my friends couple of years ago and we were all joking and jumping and my friend jusmped into me and broke my nose and when i went to the doctors they said that its just bruising and needs to heala nd settle down but even till this day my bridge of the nose is deviated and one nostril is bigger than the other and i too have trouble breathing on the left side i was wondering how long did it take any of you from the 1st doctor visit till the surgery to fix your nose?

My septum was deviated 85%. I had surgery on Sept 16th at 8:15 a.m. and was in recovery by 9:30 a.m. I felt no pain at all during or after the surgery. I was a little nausous Friday evening and took some phenegran, but basically I slept thru - on and off - until about 10:30 Saturday morning. I can't say I'm in a lot of pain even now, and I don't have any packing (only plastic straw-like splints) in my nose, but I can't breath thru my nose at all ... I guess I'm anxious about it because even though I'm tired, I can't seem to sleep ... I was hoping the vicodan they gave me for pain would help me rest, but I can't sleep even with that. I had planned to go back to work today, but by virtue of not sleeping because of a horribly stuffed nose, I'm wiped out...and now it seems that I'm coming down with a chest cold, too! Go figure! I am using a saline spray in my nose a couple of times a day and don't seem to be drying up at all. I bled slightly on Saturday and Sunday, but no bleeding at all on Monday....just completely stuffy. My question: will I be able to breath thru my nose immediately after the splints are taken out, or is this one of those "maybe" deals?

Lee, You will be able to breathe freely the moment the splints are taken out. I was lucky in that I was able to breathe a little through the splints for the entire week they were in. The left one blocked completely after about 4 days, but the right one stayed open. I cheated and used a ear syringe to squirt hydrogen peroxide in my nose, which caused a tremendous amount of drainage, but also kept the right nostril open. The nurse said later that I shouldn't have used the hydrogen peroxide without asking my surgeon, but it does not seem to have caused any problems. It was three weeks yesterday since my surgery and I am completely recovered and have felt great since the splints were removed after the first week. I now irrigate my nose once a day with a salt water solution to keep it moist and will probably stop that when I go back for my final checkup and debridement next week. I am very glad I had the surgery, it has resulted in a real quality of life improvement and was worth the pain and anxiety. Good luck to all who have the operation and may you have a speedy recovery.

I couldn't breathe well through my right nostril for as long as I could remember. I would always have to pull on my cheek under my eye in order to get a good breath on that side.

I went to an ENT and scheduled a Septoplasty with Turbinate reduction. I had the surgery about one and a half weeks ago.

The outpatient surgery was relatively painless, when I awoke a felt like I had been punched in the face. Mostly after that, I was just uncomfortable, no real pain. I didn't get packing, I'd heard it's really painful. I just had a gauze moustache. A little nasty, but no problems.

Once the splints were removed about a week later, I felt much better. Until then, I couldn't really breath at all through my nose. There was no pain upon the removal of the splints, it only took about five minutes but I do recommend taking pain meds before going in for that (just to be safe).

However, I am a little frustrated now (a week and a half later) as I feel exactly like I did before the surgery. I still need to pull on my cheek to get a real good breath on that side. I've talked to others sho've had this surgery and they said recovery will take some time (at least a month).

I hope I'm just swollen in there and it will get better (I'll try to keep you posted).

Has any one else had the same experience? Particularly the part about pulling your cheek to get a good breath? Does it get better? I hope so.

Any one that is afraid to have the surgery need not fear. It really is relatively painless. I would recommend having some one on hand to nurse you for at least 24-48 hours. I was uncomfortable after that, but once the bleeding stopped and I didn't need the gauze, I could have gone back to work (probably within 4 days). I would take a (7 day) week off just to be safe if you can. If you have your sinus' done as well, I've heard to take at least 10 days off.

Well, sorry for the rambling. I hope that helps.

I had my deviated septum surgery on September 2nd. The majority of my pain that only last a couple of days came from reactions to the anethesia, which caused horrible back, neck, head, and tooth aches. I got my splints out five days after and don't let anybody work you up over this: it takes two seconds and is a very miniscule pain that does not last. However, I'm not sure whether some people have long recovery times or what, but it has now been almost three weeks and I notice little difference in my breathing. My nose is also still very tender, which is probably normal, but I'm concerned that I am not breathing as well as everyone else claims.

OK---I just got back from the doctor's office and he said he needed to perform the septum surgery as he couldn't even looked in my right nostril it's that bad.

He told me if I went in at 8:00 I'd be out by around 12'ish. He said the surgery itself would take about an hour, then they'd apply the packing for a few hours, remove them after a few hours, place the splints and I'd be good to go.

So from what I've read, it sounds like the "packing pain" would only last a short while because he's taking it out the same morning?

The Dr. said I'd be a bit down and out for a few days, and then should be OK after awhile...

Does this sound similar to anyone else's procedures? I'm getting nervous, but the way he explained it, it didn't seem that horrible, and the benefits would outweigh the drawbacks?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Jeff,

That sounds about right. The surgery is very quick. The doctor told me somewhere in between 30 and 45 minutes. The reason you stay so long is so they can monitor you after the anethesia just to make sure you are dealing OK. You are awake by still very drowsy, you come to, they talk to you and monitor you, then they bring you to whoever brought you and explain a few things while sitting with them for a while.

The packing pain is very minute. I was prescribed Percocet, but I do not like the way pain pills make you feel, so all I did was medicate with extra-strength Tylenol. First day: 4 times, next couple days: 2-3, after that: maybe 1, a week later: none.

It's impossible to tell somebody to not be nervous and expect them to heed that advice before surgery, but honestly, the worst part of all of this will be the needless worrying you do. It's quick, it's only relatively painful for a day, and like the motto says, "no pain, no gain." If you think a week or less of moderate pain is worth a probable lifetime of breathing properly, then go for it.

This is a follow up to my earlier (Sept. 20th) post. I saw my doctor today (nearly two weeks since my surgery). I was upset because my nasal passage breathing hadn't improved. A resident cleaned out some scabbing and suctioned out my nose (gross, I know). This gave me nearly immediate improvement.

I still need to heal, but my doctor said that things are looking fine. He did recommend that I use a saline salution spray many times each day. That cuts down on scabbing and makes it easier to clean.

I'm not nearly 100% yet, but I feel a lot better and a lot less frustrated. I'll try to post when and if I feel completely healed and improved. I hope it's soon.

I'm having septoplasty and turbinate reduction this coming Thurs the 22nd of Sept. My question is geared more towards the people that have been recovered for quite some time... Have you had any occurences of septum tears or holes? And has anyone heard of the possiblity of the nasal septum going back to it's original, crooked shape many years down the road?
Any feedback would be much appreciated. Thanks kindly.

I've scheduled my surgery for the 12th of October. I'm not terrible nervous, YET, but will be as the date approaches.

Can someone tell me if they think it's be OK to fly, for Thanksgiving?

Also, I'm a little concerned about not being able to eat or drink anything after midnight the night before...should I be?

Thanks in advance and look forward to talking with you guys soon...

Hi Jeff, I would say that you will definitely be able to fly for Thanksgiving. I flew 2 weeks after my surgery with my Dr's ok. It was fine but very dry, so definitely bring saline spray and use it often.

Hey everyone,

I was reading everyone's posts and it seems that every experience has been very different with this surgery. I am scheduled for a septoplasty and turbinate reduction surgery on October 5th. I was originally scheduled to have a rhinoplasty done as well. The look of my nose really isnt all that bad (just a small bump in profile view) so i cancelled it. I am starting to wonder if i should cancel the septoplasty as well. I have been told that I have a deviated septum and overly large turbinates. I occasionally suffer from sinus infections however, I don't really feel that i have much trouble breathing. I don't know if i have just gotten used to it after all these years or If there really isnt much wrong with my nose. I sleep fine, smell fine, and never have to breathe through my mouth. My only major problem is a consistent post-nasal drip. Im scared to death of surgery and the recovery period...So i guess im wondering if anyone can tell me if this surgery is really necessary for me. It just seems like everyone who has had this done has had worse problems than I do. I'd hate to get it done, deal with the pain, and not see any results. Im really struggling with this decision and the more i hear about people being in pain and not necessarily feeling better the more i feel like chickening out. Any suggestions?

So much info here. You guys offer more info than the Doc! I found out today I have a deviated septum. Mine was a gift from a very violent EX-usband. I don't have trouble breathing, but I have severe sinus/migraine headaches. I haven't heard anyone say whether or not this operation helped the headaches....thnx for being out there!!!

Hey Beth,
I'm excited that this entry has been providing value to people how are curious about the procedure. I never expected so much feedback and info, but I think it's awesome! Keep it up!

Lindsay, I just had septoplasty and turbinate reduction yesterday...and I feel it was the best decision for me. However if your only issue is an occasional infection and postnasal drip, I would highly suggest that you try pulsatile nasal irrigation (not a neti pot, but the plug-in contraption). It improved my post-nasal drip and reduced my sinus infections tremendously (unfortunately, I had other issues that it couldn't address):

http://www.alerg.com/page/A/PROD/SST/SST2000

If you already have a WaterPik or InterPlak, you can just get a nasal irrigation attachment:

http://www.alerg.com/page/A/PROD/SST/SST2100

My Doctor told me I can not eat anything after midnight the day of the surgery.

This is worrying me a bit as my surgery isn't scheduled until 11:30 AM.

Has anyone else had this issue and what did you do to deal?

Thanks in advance-

Jeff

Hello Everyone: I had septoplasty and turbinate reduction and vocal chord surgery on Sept.27--- 1 week ago. I think everyone heals and deals in different manners. I am not going to pull any punch lines here..... Mine was excruitiating pain!! And I can't even imagine having this type or any type of rhino surgery for vainity purposes! How in the blue blazes did Michael Jackson ever do this more than once!!! So much for my ever being a contestant on the SWAN---any body who wants to look at me.. will just have to accept the rest of me the way God meant for me to be!!! As far as the no food or water after midnight---if you think you have to.....wake up at 11:45 and have a nice BIG BOWL of icecream the way I did!!!! LOL. Next morning- Just brush your teeth and use mouthwash afterward! It is very refreshing to the mouth and my doctor had no problem with it. As far as healing--- I wish I could tell you there was no pain-- but alas I can not tell a lie! Wait until you figure out how closely your nose is associated with going to the bathroom, especially if the Tylenol with Codeine that they give you for pain makes you constipated!! But.... you keep taking that codeine 'cause it makes you "feel like floating on air"!!! I wear glasses to read and see the computer screen--- the weight of them on my nose has been a little uncomfortable but, the sensation of very cold fresh air through my nasal passage has been the hardest to get used to. And the urge to blow your nose...oh no, can't do that, for at least a week. I bleed very very very bad! My doctor is just as much a character as I am. The following day after surgery he told me he could insert about 7 feet of packing up my nose for the bleeding, "IF I WANTED!!" I am still bleeding!, but nearly as bad as I did the first 2 days. I am still feeling a lot of pressure when bending over also. I not only use saline spray but I urge you to visit your local Walgreens before having this done and pick up a little product called Saline Gel. It keeps the lining of your nose moister longer, and helps with those wonderful dried blood clumps of booogers you will get!!!! (Next to the nasal sprays). My doctor also has me using Afrin to help keep the sinus swelling down. Would I do it again,.....YES! Anything to be able to breathe normally and smell again. I look at it this way--- This was my second vocal chord surgery to remove lumps.... I had so much pain with my nose... couldn't tell ya whether my throat hurt or not......!!!!! I am a 48 year old grandmother with 7 grandchildren (twins add quickly) and have always tried to take the lighter side of life.....After this surgery, I am glad that I do take things on the lighter side.......One writer was accruate is saying you are probably causing more anxiety to yourself than is necessary and if you do experience what I did... then you can say....Well...it is not as if I wasn't warned!!!!!!!!!

Anyone in the NJ area? I am trying to decide which doctor to go to for the septoplasty. The only names I have are Dr. Brunner and Dr. Kay. Can anyone tell me about these doctors, or if you had a good doctor? Thank you.

Hello all. I had my surgery this past tuesday 10/04/05. My surgery did not go as planned. The doc told me I would be in for aqbout 30 mins. I was in surgery for over three and a half hours. He got into it and had to reconstruct my nasal cavity. I was talking to the anestesiologist(spelling?) before and I told him I dont want to be a 20/20 story and wake up during surgery. Ive never been intubated before. Well I WOKE UP IN THE MIDDLE OF MY SURGERY! I shouldnt have said anything to him. I remember seeing the docs face for 1 sec. It was really hard to wake up in recovery. I was in there a long time. The doc pulled my packing out the next day. OUCHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! I also caught a cold so thats not helping. I hope I dont have to have thi surgery again. I had a cousin who had to have it 2 times. Im glad its over with!!!!!!!

Had my surgery on Friday 14 Oct.I am now a full member of Lee's club, LOL...The proceedure was about 2.5 hours,they did a few things together, correcting the septum,reducing turbinates,realigning to ensure best chances of success.My surgeon called me yesterday to follow up. I asked him how he felt the proceedure went, he said it went very well and I was so happy to hear that.There is quite a bit of bruising and the packing should be removed on Monday.I had a bit of pain after the surgery and they dropped some meds in the iv to take care of that.Otherwise no real pain just discomfort.I am so glad to have it over and have faced my fears, most of the anxiety is all in the mind.I got myself as healthy and fit as possible before the proceedure.If you are going for the proceedure concentrate on that and take your mind of the anxiety.If anybody has any questions,please e-mail me and I will be happy to help out.Thanks for all the support I recieved from this group to help me through it.

Mike

Well I had my surgery on 10/12..so now I'm a member of the club.

Everything went pretty well---honestly, the next day and a half I was very groggy and got sick the next morning.

I would call the Dr. and ask for an anti-nauseas medication if you're feeling sick from then anesthesia the next day.

I'm able to breathe pretty regularly out of my left nostril, which I could before...but my right nostril, the same one I had the problem with before is almost completely blocked.

This is frustrating me, and I'm trying hard to breathe through it, and then figure I shouldn't push it...is this normal that I can't breathe at all through it?

Also, had some stiches on the left side...I'm assuming to pull it from the right side where it was deviated so bad...odd question, but will this stay or will it revert back? I have this odd feeling that it's going to eventually shift back the way it was?

Thanks in advance-

Jeff

I had a turbinate reduction surgery (reduction in issue volume as well as some bone removal if I understood the Doctor correctly) on Oct 17 2005 and am now on day 5. On day 2 the doctor removed the packing and for short time (1-2 hours) I could breathe as never before but the doctor told me ‘don’t get used to it’ it will get worth. Apparently he was right and now my nose is stuffed again just the same as before the operation. Since the operation, I did not feel any pain whatsoever and did not need to use any pain mediation. The bleeding stopped after a day or two and was not a major issue. The main discomfort was the packing for 48 but this also was not too bad.

I had earlier this year a nasal surgery by another doctor (septum correction, RF shrinking of the turbinate and some expansion of the nose structure) that did not improve my nasal breathing situation. Now, with the turbinate reduction surgery I am at day 5 and except for a short relief for an hour or two when the packing was removed I don’t feel yet any improvement in nasal breathing.

I wonder what experience other people had with recovery from a turbinate reduction surgery. How soon after the operation did you start to feel a significant improvement? How long did it take for the situation to stabilize and the breathing improvement to become permanent? Anything else you can share regarding the healing process?

Thanks in advance,

Kam

Hi, I am 13 years old and I have a deviated septum. I am going to be going to the pre surgury check up on November 7,2005. I have some questions about the surgury. Did it hurt? Did they stick a tube down your throat? How did the over all nose job come out? And how long is the procedure? Hope you can answer my questions.. thanks..!

This site is great.
I had my surgery (septoplasty and turbinate reduction) on Friday, October 21st. I was back at work on Monday, the 24th. The surgery was painless and the pain was mostly in my teeth and gum area. That has subsided some with the help of pain killers. I have not taken pain killers while driving or at work. The only complaint I have regarding the surgery is I am very stuffy. The dr. gave me a Z pack to take for the next five days. It has helped quite a bit. I also have a humidifier in my bedroom. The drainage and blood have also stopped. I had no packing nor splints- only stitches. I go back in 3 weeks for a post op appt. All is well so far and I can't wait until I am not stuffy!

Hello all,
just had CT scan of siuses, and have no idea what the follwoing means. I am going to see an ear/nose /throat doctor, but wanted to see if anyone can interpret the following diagnoses beforre hand.
"There is a mild nasoseptal deviation towards the left. There is obstruction of the infundibula billateraly. There is some scattered opacification of the sphenoethmoidal sinuses. The frontal sinuses are well pneumatized and there is some minimal mucosal thickening involving the inferior portions of both frontal sinuses....." No idea what this means, what I do know, is that I breath through my mouth all the time and have a snoring problem. I have had a sleep apnea test (sleep over at the hospital with thousands of wires hooked up to me) and they say i do no have a problem with sleep apnea.
Anyhow, I am a professional singer and it is starting to effect my breathing on stage.
any comments are appreciated.....thanks, tom

Hi there - this response is for Sarah Flyn - I have the exact same story - migraines, headaches, mimicked sinus infection symptoms, and no treatment worked. I also decided to see an ENT on my own and get a CT Scan - I also thought it might be pollyps as suggested by my PCP, but whaddya know? Deviated Septum - I've been in no accidents, no nasal trauma - my nose is straight as an arrow, but man, those headaches are the worst. My turbinates are all curled up and putting pressure on my septum - pushing it over to the left and creating real heck for my face. So I go in for surgery this December - I guess everyone is different in their recovery time, and how radical the surgery was. I have heard good and bad, but I'll report back when I go through it. My words of wisdom: If you have pain, can't breathe or are just tired of dealing with your nasal symptoms - go to an ENT, not your allergist or general physician. Take care all,
Poppy

Hi, My boyfriend has had really bad sinus problems for the last month and as a kid had his nose broken. I am trying to get him in to see a doctor because I think he had a Deviated Septum. Those of you who have had the surgery, what were the costs?

Hey everyone. Well I had my surgery in August and it is now November so I figured I would leave an update. For about 2 months after my operation I was still blowing blood and mucus from my nose in the morning. This along with the almost unreal scabs that came out of my nose made things kinda annoying for some time. I must say though, now that things are healed my life is so much better. I sleep better and my weight lifting and has improved 50%. I can actually inhale when necessary and this allows me much more intense workouts, etc. I still have some scabbing in the inside of my nose and would like to go back for one more checkup before Christmas. If anyone has any questions please email me, and as I stated before, ASK QUESTIONS before you get into this surgery. My nose was packed for two and a half days and I thought that was horrible. I have read some stories of packing for a week, I would have probably just pulled it out because the packing is the worst part. Good luck and hope all goes well!

I am having surgery for deviated septum this month Nov. 2005. I originally went in to have my hearing checked because I noticed loss on the right side over the past 18 months. I had a C.A.T. scan and they found the septum problem was causing the hearing loss. I have a lot of problems with sinus colds, infection and pain. Im just curious if anyone else had hearing problems??
Thanks,
Jeff

Hey there...Ok this is for Sarah Flyn I also had headaches all the time. I went to an ENT and had a deviated septum and turbinate reduction done...and I can say it was worth it all. My surgery was Jan. 28th 2004. Now what is funny about this story is that my husband is having the same exact surgery done this coming Wed. Nov. 16th. I have only had one sinus infection since it was done in 2004 and 1 headache and I use to get at least one a week and lived on tylonal sinus before the surgery. My time off work for the surgery was one week. I felt better by week 3. I'm hoping my husbands goes as well. We are leaving for Disney on Dec. 10th, only 3.5 weeks after his surgery. Good luck all!

I've been suffering from fatigue since the beginning of September. All my blood work was normal but I started looking for answers and found that chronic sinus infections can cause the fatigue. My doctor prescribed my anti-biotics and after a couple weeks of no substantial improvement, I went to see an ENT. Got a CT scan that didn't show any infection but did show a badly deviated septum. I had sugery yesterday (Nov 10th) and it really wasn't bad. The nose splints are really more inconvienient than painful. We'll see how it goes in the coming weeks.

I don't know if anyone can answer this question or not. I had surgery to correct my deviated septum back in 6th grade over Christmas break and hadn't had any problems with my nose since then. Now in my senior year of college I am experiencing many of the same symptoms as before. In doing some checking I see where they do not encourage the surgery before the age of 18 because of continued growth of the inner parts of the nose. Is it possible that growth could have occured and I may need the surgery again?

I am scheduled for septoplasty on Nov. 28. After reading all the symptoms others had before surgery, I am beginning to wonder if my septum warrants surgery. I can sleep, exercise, and smell. The CAT scan showed a badly deviated septum with almost no air going through my right nostril. My nose was broken at age 13 and I have lived with it for 51 years. I do have frequent sinus infections and allergic rhinitis.I have been referred to an ENT/allergist who recommends this surgery. I am getting cold feet.
Faye

Hi, my name's Erin. I am 15 years old... and I have a deviated septum. I believe that I will have to get surgery, so I was wondering how long I may have to be out of school, and is there much pain after the procedure? Thank you alot, this website is very resourceful.
Erin

how do u know if your nose is deviated bad???