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.
How Painful Is Nasal Surgery
Traditionally, several incisions were made on the face to destroy the sinuses, which is why sinus surgery was invasive and painful. However, with the progress of medical science, surgeons now use a tool known as an endoscope to operate and treat the blockages.
The minimally invasive procedure ensures quick recovery, which is quite a dramatic improvement from the previous methods. Additionally, new medications and devices have helped minimize the pressure and chances of any side effects.
Is sinus surgery worth it
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
Endoscopic sinus surgery is the most commonly used sinus surgery, but there are other procedures that your doctor might recommend. These include:
FESS – Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery
It is a popular alternative to endoscopic sinus surgery, where the surgeon uses a tool known as an endoscope. The thin tube is fiber-optic and is inserted into the nose to get a visual image of the sinuses.
Your surgeon will pass surgical instruments and other micro-telescopes to clear the blockage and remove any obstructive tissues. The process is minimally invasive, carried out through the nostrils, and leaves almost no scars. FEES might cause minimal discomfort, but nothing permanent and ensures quick recovery.
Caldwell-Luc Surgery
Cadwell-Luc surgery is used to treat foreign growth in the sinus cavity but is more invasive and less opted for. Your doctor will remove conditions like nasal polyps by this method to improve the draining of the sinus.
The surgeon removes the unwanted tissue growth and creates a small pathway called the maxillary sinus. This is done between the cavity under the eye and the nose to facilitate sinus drainage.
Image-Guided Surgery
If you have recurrent sinus infections and have already had surgery, your doctor will recommend you have image-guided surgery. The newer process is also used to treat severe cases of blocked sinuses.
Just like functional endoscopic sinus surgery, your surgeon will use an endoscope to visualize the sinus infection. Additionally, a three-dimensional mapping form like CT scans is used to help the surgeon see the position of the different surgical instruments to safely guide these across the difficult passages.
Balloon surgery
This is a new type of surgery that is only prescribed when there is nothing to be removed from the sinuses. In it, the doctor inserts a thin tube into the nose, attached to one end of which is a small balloon.
The balloon is guided to the congested area within the nose and is inflated. Doing this clears the passageway and the sinuses can now be drained more effectively.
Side Effects Of Sinus Surgery
Bleeding: Although the risk of bleeding is minimal with sinus surgery, significant bleeding may occur, requiring termination of the procedure in rare situations. Bleeding after surgery may necessitate nasal packing placement and hospital admission. A blood transfusion is rarely necessary.
Any surgical procedure carries the risk of postoperative infection. If an infection arises following surgery, doctors prescribe antibiotics.
Recurrent sinus infections: While endoscopic sinus surgery offers significant benefits, it does not provide a cure for sinusitis. You can expect to continue taking sinus medications after the surgery. Reducing the frequency and severity of symptoms is the goal of the surgery. In some instances, traditional surgery may be necessary.
There are risks associated with sinus surgery or sinus inflammation, including tearing of the eye. If these symptoms persist, further surgery may be necessary. You may experience numbness or discomfort in the upper front teeth for a period of time. You may also experience swelling or bruising around your eyes. 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 high-pressure balloon system or by a low-pressure osmotic system, where fluid is drawn from the sinus cavity into a device that 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.
