How Painful Is Nasal Surgery

Sinuses are cavities located inside the skull around the eyes, nose, and front of the face. These cavities help to make the skull lighter. They also produce mucus that adds moisture to the nasal passages. The mucus provides a protective layer to help keep out unwanted particles like pollutants, dirt, and infectious organisms. Cilia, which are very fine hair-like cells, line the sinuses. The cilia help to drain mucus through the passages of the sinuses and out into the nose.

Is sinus surgery worth it

If an individual has recurrent sinus infections or a sinus infection that just doesn’t go away, surgery is one option for treatment. If you look at the goal of sinus surgery, it is basically to reestablish the normal ventilation and drainage of the sinuses. Originally, aggressive surgery was done to destroy some sinuses so they wouldn’t bother the patient. This was sometimes very effective, but as one might expect from such a surgery, it was painful and took a long time to recover.

A little over 30 years ago, there was an introduction of endoscopes, which are small telescopic cameras that allow the surgeon to actually enter the nose and find the natural openings of the sinuses, where tiny instruments can be used to provide access to the openings and create larger openings and removal of infection. These innovations improved the recovery time dramatically from the original surgeries but still left the patient with a five- to seven-day recovery.

In addition, recently, there have been advances made with packing materials. Packing is a substance that’s generally placed in the nasal cavity after surgery to hold pressure on that area to reduce bleeding and maintain the openings. The packing was painful for three to seven days, and its removal was sometimes the worst part of the surgery, according to the patient. Newer devices have been manufactured, which allow us to avoid the use of packing often because they self-absorb, do not need removal, and exert much less pressure on the system.

Although they are not life-threatening illnesses, persistent sinus pain and stuffiness can lower your quality of life. Sinus problems are frequently resolved by minimally invasive sinus surgery, such as balloon sinuplasty and FESS. If you’re considering the advantages and disadvantages of sinus surgery, see a medical professional. Before offering a recommendation, they will examine your medical history, present sinus condition, and medical history.

Types Of Sinus Surgery

There are several types of nasal and sinus surgery, including:

The procedure is known as functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS). In FESS, a surgeon inserts an endoscope equipped with a camera and light into the nose and guides it to the sinuses. The process allows the surgeon to see inside the sinuses and use surgical instruments that fit inside the endoscope to address problems in the sinuses. This minimally invasive procedure may be used to remove polyps within the nose, tumors, or other obstructions that interfere with airflow and sinus drainage.

Septoplasty.  The septum, the thin wall of bone and cartilage that divides the nose into two chambers, is the target of this procedure. Normally, the septum is straight. Occasionally, however, it is bent or crooked. This defect is known as a deviated septum. Septoplasty is a surgical procedure to straighten the deviated septum to improve breathing and reduce sinus infections and nosebleeds. An endoscope or an incision can perform the procedure.

Turbinate surgery.  Turbinates are bony structures in the nose. They are covered with a mucous membrane. The turbinates filter, warm, and humidify the inhaled air as it passes through the nose. Allergies, sinus infections, and upper respiratory infections can cause inflammation and enlargement of the turbinate mucous membrane. Enlarged turbinates can obstruct airflow and make it harder to breathe. To treat enlarged turbinates, a surgeon may remove the affected turbinates or parts of them, reposition them, or use laser or radiofrequency ablation to reduce the size of the enlarged mucous membrane. Depending on the specific procedure used, surgery may require a small incision or it may be done using an endoscope.

Balloon sinus dilation.  Also known as sinus ostial dilation or balloon ostial dilation, this minimally invasive procedure is used to treat chronic sinusitis. The surgeon inserts a thin, flexible tube called a catheter into the nose and guides it into the sinuses. At the end of the catheter is a deflated balloon. The surgeon inflates, deflates, and reinflates the balloon in the blocked sinuses. This technique stretches out and opens the affected part of the sinus, which improves drainage and airflow. The balloon and catheter are removed after the procedure. 

The adenoids, which are small masses of tissue in the upper pharynx (the tube that connects the mouth and nose to the esophagus), help fight infections. The adenoids help fight infections. In some cases, adenoids become enlarged in children, making it harder to breathe through the nose. In these circumstances, a doctor may perform an adenoidectomy, which is the surgical removal of adenoids. 

Side Effects Of Sinus Surgery

Bleeding: Although the risk of bleeding is minimal with sinus surgery, in rare situations significant bleeding occurs that requires termination of the procedure. Bleeding following surgery could require nasal packing placement and hospital admission. A blood transfusion is rarely necessary.

Postoperative Infection: Any surgical procedure carries the risk of postoperative infection. If an infection develops after surgery, antibiotics are prescribed.

Recurrent sinus infections: Although endoscopic sinus surgery provides significant benefits, surgery is not a cure for sinusitis. You can expect to continue taking sinus medications after surgery. The goal of surgery is a decrease in the frequency and intensity of symptoms. In certain instances, traditional surgery may be necessary.

Other risks: Some people experience tearing of the eye from sinus surgery or sinus inflammation. If persistent, such symptoms may require additional surgery. You may experience numbness or discomfort in the upper front teeth for a period of time. Swelling, bruising, or temporary numbness of the lip may occur, as well as swelling or bruising around the eye. Subtle changes in the sound of your voice are common.

Conclusion

Within the last decade, advances have been made further to eliminate the need for cutting or removal of tissue and instead, simply, dilating the sinus openings. This task can be accomplished either by a higher-pressure balloon system or by a lower-pressure osmotic system, where fluid is drawn from the sinus cavity into a device, which then expands. Placement of these devices carefully into the sinus openings can then allow for these openings to be dilated, the device is removed, and the patient many times can return to normal activity either the same day or, at the worst, the very next day. Such an approach allows a marked improvement over the last several decades in the recovery time and the uncomfortable period following sinus surgery.