What Can I Expect After a Sinus Operation?
If you are a long time sufferer of chronic sinusitis and medication has not been able to give your relief, you may be considering sinus surgery.
Here we'll look at the after effects you may expect from traditional sinus surgery and Balloon Sinuplasty to give you a better understanding of the procedures and their benefits.
Traditional Sinus Surgery The central problem with chronic sinusitis is inflammation in the sinus cavities prevents proper drainage of fluids, causing pain and pressure.
Traditional sinus surgery is endoscopic, meaning the procedure enters an open cavity in the body.
The surgery involves removing tissue and small pieces of bone in order to widen the sinus cavity and allow for drainage.
The widening is a long-term remedy for reoccurring inflammation.
This is an outpatient surgery (generally lasting 1-3 hours).
However, exercise following surgery should be kept to a minimum to avoid adding pressure to the sinuses or causing strenuous breathing.
On average, a patient can return to normal activities after one week.
Immediately following this type of surgery, patients can experience bleeding and mucus drainage, often resulting in congestion.
These affects will minimize as healing occurs.
Irrigation of the site may be required to help clean out build up of fluids.
Headaches are common, as is general pain at the site.
Medications will be prescribed to ease suffering.
Antibiotics will also be given to avoid any infections that may occur in the sinuses or nasal cavity.
In some cases, tooth numbness may result from the surgery if the work was done near the roots of the upper teeth.
This will generally fade in a few days.
Likewise, surgery near the optic nerve can affect vision following the procedure.
This is usually temporary as well.
On rare occasions, since the sinuses are directly below the brain, instruments can puncture the bone and cause brain fluid to drain into the sinuses.
Physicians will identify the problem immediately and repair the site.
However, if not treated, this can lead to meningitis, a bacterial infection.
Balloon Sinuplasty Also an endoscopic procedure, Balloon Sinuplasty, however, does not remove any tissue or bone.
The balloon is inserted into the sinus cavity and inflated to gently push the inflamed tissue aside, allowing fluid to drain through a catheter.
This procedure also widens the opening in the sinus cavity for long-term relief.
This outpatient surgery (averaging 1-2 hours) has a much faster recovery rate of 24-48 hours.
Many patients return to work the same or next day.
Some bleeding may occur, but considerably less than in traditional surgery since no tissue or bone has been removed.
Most sinus fluid is drained during the procedure, but there is always a likelihood of more later on.
Strenuous activity (especially weight lifting) should not be attempted for at least a week due to the strain on the nasal passageways.
In general, antibiotics will be prescribed to prevent infection, but most patients of Balloon Sinuplasty do not require prescription strength pain relievers.
If they do, they are taken for a considerably shorter period of time than following traditional sinus surgery.
The risks to the brain, eyes and teeth are much less likely with Balloon Sinuplasty as there are no sharp surgical tools working in the sinuses.
However, there is a chance the device delivering the balloon could puncture the delicate sinus walls.
Not all individuals are good candidates for Balloon Sinuplasty based on shape of their sinuses.
In certain cases, the area is too small for the balloon to be used, posing too much of a risk to the patient.
If you are considering surgery for relief from your chronic sinusitis, speak with an ENT (ear, nose and throat) doctor.
Whether you choose traditional sinus surgery, or Balloon Sinuplasty, your physician will be able to walk you through what is best for your particular condition.
If you are in Georgia, Atlanta Balloon Sinuplastymay be able to find a solution for your chronic sinusitis needs.
Here we'll look at the after effects you may expect from traditional sinus surgery and Balloon Sinuplasty to give you a better understanding of the procedures and their benefits.
Traditional Sinus Surgery The central problem with chronic sinusitis is inflammation in the sinus cavities prevents proper drainage of fluids, causing pain and pressure.
Traditional sinus surgery is endoscopic, meaning the procedure enters an open cavity in the body.
The surgery involves removing tissue and small pieces of bone in order to widen the sinus cavity and allow for drainage.
The widening is a long-term remedy for reoccurring inflammation.
This is an outpatient surgery (generally lasting 1-3 hours).
However, exercise following surgery should be kept to a minimum to avoid adding pressure to the sinuses or causing strenuous breathing.
On average, a patient can return to normal activities after one week.
Immediately following this type of surgery, patients can experience bleeding and mucus drainage, often resulting in congestion.
These affects will minimize as healing occurs.
Irrigation of the site may be required to help clean out build up of fluids.
Headaches are common, as is general pain at the site.
Medications will be prescribed to ease suffering.
Antibiotics will also be given to avoid any infections that may occur in the sinuses or nasal cavity.
In some cases, tooth numbness may result from the surgery if the work was done near the roots of the upper teeth.
This will generally fade in a few days.
Likewise, surgery near the optic nerve can affect vision following the procedure.
This is usually temporary as well.
On rare occasions, since the sinuses are directly below the brain, instruments can puncture the bone and cause brain fluid to drain into the sinuses.
Physicians will identify the problem immediately and repair the site.
However, if not treated, this can lead to meningitis, a bacterial infection.
Balloon Sinuplasty Also an endoscopic procedure, Balloon Sinuplasty, however, does not remove any tissue or bone.
The balloon is inserted into the sinus cavity and inflated to gently push the inflamed tissue aside, allowing fluid to drain through a catheter.
This procedure also widens the opening in the sinus cavity for long-term relief.
This outpatient surgery (averaging 1-2 hours) has a much faster recovery rate of 24-48 hours.
Many patients return to work the same or next day.
Some bleeding may occur, but considerably less than in traditional surgery since no tissue or bone has been removed.
Most sinus fluid is drained during the procedure, but there is always a likelihood of more later on.
Strenuous activity (especially weight lifting) should not be attempted for at least a week due to the strain on the nasal passageways.
In general, antibiotics will be prescribed to prevent infection, but most patients of Balloon Sinuplasty do not require prescription strength pain relievers.
If they do, they are taken for a considerably shorter period of time than following traditional sinus surgery.
The risks to the brain, eyes and teeth are much less likely with Balloon Sinuplasty as there are no sharp surgical tools working in the sinuses.
However, there is a chance the device delivering the balloon could puncture the delicate sinus walls.
Not all individuals are good candidates for Balloon Sinuplasty based on shape of their sinuses.
In certain cases, the area is too small for the balloon to be used, posing too much of a risk to the patient.
If you are considering surgery for relief from your chronic sinusitis, speak with an ENT (ear, nose and throat) doctor.
Whether you choose traditional sinus surgery, or Balloon Sinuplasty, your physician will be able to walk you through what is best for your particular condition.
If you are in Georgia, Atlanta Balloon Sinuplastymay be able to find a solution for your chronic sinusitis needs.
