Sinus Surgery

[Lakewood90712]

Sinus Surgery. Balloon sinuplasty or good ol break bone & carve out tissue -

ENT wants to do the later, says no big deal, but says it's about a 2 hr operation - no big deal ? 2 Hr op is a big deal to me............ Says can do Balloon Sinuplasty in the office , says he cant get to all of the sinus cavities with it.

Your experiences ?

 

[Masquernom]

What's the purpose of the surgery?

 

[Teacher Terry]

People that I have known that had it said it was the most painful thing that they ever experienced.

 

[Carpediem]

I will be following this thread very closely. My DW has major sinus issues. She hasn't had sense of taste or smell for more than a year. She has seen 2 different ENTs and an Allergist and has had multiple CT scans. We found an ENT nearby who can perform the balloon procedure and we're hopeful that might be the solution we've been looking for. She said she'd live with her sinus issues before having the break bone surgery.

 

[Crabby Mike]

Had my sinuses remodeled courtesy of a severely broken nose in my 40s, and it significantly improved my breathing and sleeping. The downside was a miserable recovery for a week or so. Along with fixing a very deviated septum, he reduced my turbinates, which I think made a big difference.

 

[tfudtuckerpucker]

I've had 2 sinuplasty procedures- one as a teenager and one as an adult, for chronic rhinitis. The first one was ugly- they couldn't get the bleeding to stop. And after a very long and uncomfortable recovery, I didn't think it helped much. Then I had a battery of allergy shots, which seemed to help some.

I had another one decades later. They looked at the CT scan and commented about "looks like they removed too much" on one side in the first procedure. Way to build confidence in the patient. Recovery from the second wasn't as bad, but it didn't help much, either. Wish there was a money-back guarantee. So I just deal with it. Maaaaybe I'll try the balloon procedure someday- it seems to be much less invasive, and the stats seem pretty positive. Interesting- there's such a thing as the SNOT-20 test. A youtube video shows more about it with sedation. Another approach without sedation is shown here.

 

[Chuckanut]

A few years back I read that daily practice of 'nasal lavage' helps most sinus conditions though it is not a cure. It's easy and cheap. I find that it keeps the negative effects of a deviated septum to a minimum during the day and well into the night, and in times of very dry atmosphere.

 

[SumDay]

My husband had this done. Actually, if anyone ever wants to know about virtually any procedure, just ask me, because he's probably had it. The man never met a medical procedure he didn't want to have.

As with most of these things, I just asked him about it, and he said it was horrible and wouldn't do it again. Virtually no gain and a helluva lotta pain. He woke up at 3 a.m. the day he was due to have all the packing removed, and and wanted me to take him to the ER because he was sure his body was 'shutting down'. I didn't, and it wasn't. He was far less needy when he went through chemo than he was through thumb surgery, RK, sinus surgery, common cold....

 

[REWahoo]

Had the "roto-rooter" sinus surgery about 25 years ago, before the balloon method was around. No bone break, just carved out tissue to open things up. Packing removed before I left the day surgery clinic. Not particularly painful and the chronic sinus infections that plagued me for decades disappeared.

 

[CaliKid]

I did it and has been life changing. At least in my experience it wasn't that painful and has been great.

A close friend did the balloon and it did nothing. Had to go in a couple years later for real surgery.

Just do it!

 

[Lakewood90712]

What's the purpose of the surgery?

Lifelong problems with post nasal drip. Last 20 yrs or so , common colds almost always result in sinuses being inflamed., like no such thing as a "slight head cold" for me.

About 10 mo ago sinus infection started with a cold, got so bad at one point I was convinced it was a tooth problem. Lost most smell. , 4 rounds of anti-bio tics and months of saline irrigation . Still have the infection., still cant smell much.

I guess that could be a good thing if I went to work in the sewers ( Remember the next door neighbor in the Honeymooners TV series ? )

The ct scan ( 3 weeks ago) shows some of the sinus cavities still virtually full.

The doc said we have 4 sinuses x2 . Says one pair he cannot access with the office balloon procedure.

 

[Jerry1]

I’d do what I’d do with any choice in medical procedures. Start with the least invasive and move up as long as one didn’t preclude the other. In this case I’d try the balloon before I’d have a bone broke. That would be my last choice and like Carpediem’s DW, I might live with it before I’d have a bone broke.

Good side is that there are some very good drugs for pain. Just use the minimum amount necessary.

 

[StephieJean]

A few years back I read that daily practice of 'nasal lavage' helps most sinus conditions though it is not a cure. It's easy and cheap. I find that it keeps the negative effects of a deviated septum to a minimum during the day and well into the night, and in times of very dry atmosphere.

I agree that weekly rinsing of the sinus with netti pot does wonders. I add a bit (less than capful ) of silver solution and rinse away. I was scheduled for sinus surgury and my personal phsician would not clear me until I tried netti pot for 6 months. She said surgery is not a cure and the sinus issue can come back. Friends who have had the surgery said it was very painful and very uncomfortable recovery. Today, i have constant runny nose, but my blockage is gone. I only get sinus infection once a year now versus several in a year.
If you are going to have surgery; however, choose less invasive-balloon procedure looks ok, but IS too a big deal. Good luck lakewood

 

[Lakewood90712]

Still have made no decision on conventional surgical or balloon. Still getting conflicting reports ranging from "some discomfort to the worst pain ever during recovery.

PS. Got a one hour saline sinus wash courtesy of the Pacific Ocean yesterday. Out in the spray on our yacht club pier in 36 knot wind. Really did a good nasal flush. LOL

 

[LXEX55]

I was getting wicked sinus headaches and the doctors recommended this to me. I gave up milk and eating raw eggs, and my headaches got much, much better. Almost, but, not quite vanished.

 

[ivinsfan]

Lifelong problems with post nasal drip. Last 20 yrs or so , common colds almost always result in sinuses being inflamed., like no such thing as a "slight head cold" for me.

About 10 mo ago sinus infection started with a cold, got so bad at one point I was convinced it was a tooth problem. Lost most smell. , 4 rounds of anti-bio tics and months of saline irrigation . Still have the infection., still cant smell much.

I guess that could be a good thing if I went to work in the sewers ( Remember the next door neighbor in the Honeymooners TV series ? )

The ct scan ( 3 weeks ago) shows some of the sinus cavities still virtually full.

The doc said we have 4 sinuses x2 . Says one pair he cannot access with the office balloon procedure.

This sounds painful and I have a few sinus issues myself. One of the office workers in my local bank had new sinus procedure around 40 years ago. In the wintertime she still has a whistling, sniffing sound permanently. It is a legacy of this surgery. She told me it was pioneering and the doc said there was a small chance it could kill her. Her reply to the doctor I don't care do it anyway, I can't take it anymore.

I hope something can be done to help ease your what must be major discomfort.

 

[badatmath]

Hmm I know someone who had the bone carve out kind - he said it didn't help and was painful.

 

[W2R]

Sinus surgery is very popular here, and it seems to really help for a few months. Well, first a few painful months of recovery, and then "it's a lifechanging miracle" for six months or a year, and then "it's just as bad as ever now". Unfortunately I don't know anybody who it has helped for longer than a year. Maybe I just know unlucky people.

I don't normally have sinus problems as bad as most people do around here. That said, my sinuses are driving me nuts this morning so I can really sympathize.

 

[skipro33]

People that I have known that had it said it was the most painful thing that they ever experienced.

Ditto. My dad had it and he's the toughest bird anyone could ever know as far as complaining about pain. He's had two heart attacks and didn't know it until the third one hit. The first thing he told me when he got out of surgery and woke up was that he was in pain.

To add insult to injury, his sinuses are just as messed up now as they ever were in the past. Do what you want, but I'd never, EVER get sinus surgery after witnessing what my dad went though.

 

[gattara]

My husband had sinus surgery in mid-December. His deviated septum (from trauma decades ago) was corrected, large polyps removed, and turbinates reduced. The doc didn't pack his nose, he put in Propel stents (steroid) that dissolved in 30 days. The first two weeks were rough, but he kept getting better from there. He had his 4th or so follow-up appointment today and is doing really well. Breathing much better, sleeping very well, no more post-nasal drip. He is using Alkalol in an irrigation bottle daily, which works wonders in breaking up mucous.

Today I asked the doctor the best way to prevent polyps in the future, since they return 50% of the time. His answer: continue using Flonase. Also, if DH gets a sinus infection, he is to get to the ENT by day 5, 6, or 7, so a culture can be done and he can get on appropriate antibiotics before inflammation takes hold and creates new polyps.

My husband will stay on top of this and do what he can to prevent the polyps from forming. Worse than the surgery were the 3 or so debridement processes he had to undergo afterwards. They were painful, especially the first one.

 

[Carpediem]

Also, if DH gets a sinus infection, he is to get to the ENT by day 5, 6, or 7, so a culture can be done and he can get on appropriate antibiotics before inflammation takes hold and creates new polyps.

DW had a follow-up visit with her ENT yesterday to review results of second CT scan and discuss sinus surgery. My wife has been hesitant to go through with the surgery until we have more info. One of our questions yesterday was "can you do a culture so that we know what the best anti-biotic would be to try?". He said it wasn't really possible to do a culture because her infection is higher up. So instead, he prescribed what must be the 5th or 6th different anti-biotic she's tried over the last 1.5+ years.

This sinus stuff is so frustrating!

 

[Lakewood90712]

I am curious why they cannot enter the maxi sinuses thru a small incision in the face. I am vary reluctant to go thru any procedure that breaks bone intentionally.

 

[gattara]

My sympathies, Carpediem. It must be very frustrating. The balloon procedure wasn't even mentioned to my husband. I guess because he needed his septum corrected, he needed surgery anyway. Best wishes to your wife as she goes through the decision-making process.

I forgot to mention my husband is enjoying his newfound senses of smell and taste. He hadn't realized how much they had been compromised.

 

[Lakewood90712]

Still have infection, and not committed to either surgery. Have been thru 4 rounds of oral antibiotics, over about a year, and warned about permanent loss of good digestive bacteria on continued oral meds.

? why cant the bacteria be cultured , then a targeted , an injectable antibiotic be prescribed ?

The vet does sometimes on my critters, why not on humans ?

 

[Teacher Terry]

My sister got a infection in a tooth implant that wouldn’t go away after many rounds of medication. Then they removed the implant and sent her to a infectious doctor expert who cultured it and prescribed new medication. It didn’t work so now she has a pic line installed and goes to the hospital daily for 6 weeks to get the medication intravenously to clear up the infection.