How I Survived a Septoplasty & Turbinate Reduction

It all started in 1996 when I broke my nose in a "confidence building" exercise. I was on the state SCHIP type health program at the time, and they absolutely refused to pay to fix my nose. So I went through the rest of high school with a crooked nose. Then in 2000, I slipped in the shower and broke my nose again, thus increasing the damage. I had employer sponsored health insurance, so I was able to get a rhinoplasty done. I was told they couldn't do anything about the previous damage until the rhinoplasty healed. My nose was still a little crooked, but I still couldn't breath well through it. By the time the rhinoplasty healed, I had lost my insurance again.

Fast forward 12 years, and I have decent insurance again. So I had a septoplasty and turbinate reduction done 11 days ago. I will share my experience with you. This if for informational purposes only, and should not be considered medical advice. Consult your physician about these ideas before you put them into practice.

Weeks Before Surgery:
The ENT surgeon told me to avoid "blood thinning" medications, foods, beverages, and herbs for two weeks before the surgery. I found this list online, but your doctor may have other restrictions.

The Night Before Surgery:
I was advised not to eat anything after midnight, only clear liquids 4 hours before the surgery, and nothing (not even water) 2 hours before the surgery. I was told that jello would be ok up to 4 hours before surgery. This is all to make sure your stomach is completely empty when they give you anesthesia. If your stomach is not empty, there is a possibility that your stomach contents could regurgitate while you are unconscious. It could end up in your lungs, and cause life threatening problems. So follow pre-operative instructions exactly.

The Day of the Surgery:
I arrived at the hospital at my "report time", and they took me to a hospital room to await surgery. The surgeon was behind, so it ended up being 3 hours before they came to get me. The nurse was certain it would be at least 2 hours, so she gave me some water.

When they told me they were ready, the asked me to empty my bladder. If possible, try to empty your bladder before going to the operating room. It makes your time in the "recovery room" far more difficult if you have a full bladder on top of everything else.

I hopped on the gurney, and they wheeled me into a prep room (not the operating room). I answered a few questions, and a nurse got an IV inserted in my arm. After a few minutes of waiting, they wheeled me into the operating room.

Operating Room:
In the operating room, they asked me a few questions about reactions to anesthesia. Then I moved onto the operating table. I was asked to put my head on a support that was uncomfortable, but it opened my airway. They started the anesthesia in the IV, and put the gas mask over my face. The nurse asked me to think of a happy place. I was out cold in about 5 seconds.

Recovery Room:
I regained consciousness in the recovery room. The first thing I remembered was feeling extremely hot. Apparently that isn't unusual after anesthesia. I also noticed the roll of gauze taped against my nostrils. The nurse gave me some ice chips to suck on, but told me not to crunch them between my teeth. She removed the blanket, and I started to cool down. The nurse asked if I felt any nausea, and I said no. After I cooled down a bit, they wheeled me back to my room.

Hospital Room:
After I got back to my room, they took my temperature and blood pressure. They also gave me some ice water. After about 20 minutes they gave me some apple sauce, and made sure I could keep it down. It took me another 20-30 minutes before I felt stable enough to stand up. They removed the IV, checked my temperature and blood pressure again. The surgeon came in to let me know everything went well, and that I had very little bleeding. Then the nurse took me for a walk to make sure I could walk without trouble. When I got back to my room, I got dressed and they wheeled me out to the lobby. You probably shouldn't drive, so have someone pick you up. I was told I would need to come back in a week to have the stents removed.

Prescriptions:
The surgeon prescribed pain medication and an antibiotic. He told me to take the pain medication as sparingly as possible because it is a narcotic (addicting). He told me to take the antibiotic exactly as prescribed, and to take it until it was gone. That is to keep the bacteria from developing resistance to the antibiotic.

Nasal Irrigation:
I was also instructed to do 3 saline nasal irrigations every day for 4 weeks. The hospital gave me a "NeilMed Sinus Rinse" starter kit with a plastic irrigation bottle and 5 solution packets. I went to Walgreens and got a 100 pack of solution packets. Follow the instructions from the "starter kit" exactly. Your first irrigation isn't going to be painful (if you followed the instructions), but it isn't a natural feeling. You will get used to it. If you start to squirt the solution and it's feels cold, try microwaving the bottle at 5-10 second intervals until it reaches the right temperature. If it feels like it's burning, stop, dump out the solution, and try again. This time follow the instructions! It should not burn. It will be uncomfortable, it will make your eyes water, but it should not burn. Keep some kleenex tissues nearby. You will need them when you're finished.

Other Supplies to Consider (talk to your doctor):

• A humidifier - I used a warm mist in the bedroom, and a cool mist in the office. I personally prefer the warm mist, but it's really your preference.
• Chap stick - you will be doing lots of mouth breathing, especially at night. Use chapstick to keep your lips from cracking and hurting.
• Neosporin - or any of the antibacterial petroleum ointments will work. Put it around the outside of your nostrils to reduce crusting. It also helps to keep your nose from chafing from the wet gauze.
• Tylenol - At some point you won't need the pain medicine anymore, so Tylenol will work for lower amounts of pain.
  
• Benadryl - I had trouble sleeping the first few nights. I didn't need the pain medicine for pain, and I was worried about taking it just to sleep. So my doctor told me to get benadryl, which made me drowsy. Some doctors say don't use benadryl, some say to use it. Ask your doctor to be sure.
• Sudafed - The first time I tried to do the irrigation, it only went a little up one nostril. I was swollen and congested, so the solution wasn't able to get into the back of my nasal pasage (where it is needed to keep it clean). My doctor told me to try sudafed to reduce the swelling and congestion. It worked like a charm! It cleared up the congestion, and I was able to do the irrigation properly. I got the 12 hour version so I didn't have to remember to take it 2 hours before irrigation, but that's just my preference. I've never had any luck with the "PE" version of sudafed. I always have to get the "original" version that they keep behind the pharmacy counter. Obviously you need to make sure your doctor approves use of sudafed. It really made a difference for me.
• Saline nasal spray - the kind that does a mist up your nose. Just get the plain saline version. Doing this a few times in each nostril helps keep everything moist and keeps the mucous moving between irrigations. Again, check with your doctor first.
• Popsicles - Basically anything cold will help reduce swelling.
  
• Cold, Soft Foods - anything cold that doesn't require you to open your mouth much will be very helpful. Yogurt worked well for a few days.
  

Recovery Day of Surgery:
When I got home, I was hungry. I was told to avoid hot foods, so I had yogurt and a piece of bread with butter. I couldn't open my mouth very far, so I had to break up the bread into small pieces. After dinner I took a pain pill and went to bed. My pain wasn't much, but I wanted to sleep well without being awoken by pain. I put some pillows under the head of my mattress, and slept on my back.

Day 1:
Because of the angle needed to keep my airway open, my neck was at a funny angle during surgery. The morning after surgery, I woke up with some pain and weakness in my neck. My throat was a little sore because of the breathing tube used during surgery. Other than that, my nose was only a little sore. Tylenol worked great for the pain. I had to change the drainage/gauze/tape thing 15 times on the first day. I felt a little dizzy, so I didn't drive anywhere. I took 2 naps, sleeping a total of 14 hours. When I went to bed the first day, I had a hard time staying asleep. The gauze on my face was uncomfortable, but I had to wear it.

Day 2:
I called my doctor and asked what I could do to sleep. I told him I didn't need the pain medicine for pain, and I was worried about taking it just to sleep. He told me to buy some benadryl, which would make me drowsy enough to sleep. I woke up on day two with very little pain, except my neck pain. The sore throat was gone. I tried using a massager to relieve the neck pain, but it caused vibrations in my nose that hurt. I took sudafed to clear up congestion, then did my irrigation. From then on irrigation was not a problem. I was still not able to open my mouth very much, and I didn't have much of an appetite. But I forced myself to eat a popsicle, and some buttered bread. I changed the gauze/tape thing about 10 times on day 2. I took a nap in the afternoon. Tylenol relieved the small amount of pain. I took benadryl to help me sleep, and I slept through the night.

Day 3:
I could open my mouth a little more. I could eat milk and cereal for breakfast. I changed the gauze / tape thing 5 times this day. Tylenol relieved my pain, and benadryl helped me sleep. After this day, I rarely needed tylenol. I didn't need the gauze / drainage thing after day 3.

Days 4 - 7:
My nose was a little sore, but I had no pain. I could open my mouth fairly well, and I was able to eat most foods. My appetite came back, and I ate well. On day 5 I was able to eat some warm foods. I didn't need Tylenol, as I had no pain. My irrigation schedule and antibiotics were on schedule. My surgeon wasn't available to remove the stents on day 7, so I had to wait over the weekend. It was actually a good thing because I had a few more days to heal.

Days 7 - 10:
Everything continued to heal. I didn't need Tylenol at all. After day 8 I didn't need sudafed to allow me to do the irrigations. On day 9 I was able to return to the gym to use the elliptical machine, but I had to be careful not to get my heart rate up too much. Just enough to break a sweat. I was able to eat anything. I still avoided hot drinks, but that was my choice.

Day 11:
The surgeon removed the stents today. I did two saline rinses before my 1PM appointment, just to be sure everything was clean. The surgeon snipped the stitch, and pulled each one out. It didn't hurt at all. Because I had done such a good job of irrigating, he said my healing was going very well. He cleaned out my nose with a "booger sucker", and I was on my way. He requested a follow up visit in 6 weeks. I noticed on my way home that the air felt very cold in my nostrils. I used a tissue to keep it all warm until I got home. After a few hours, the cold nostril feeling has gone away. The surgeon said I would have a little swelling for about a week after the stents were removed. He also said I shouldn't lift anything more than 15 pounds for another 3 weeks. I have to continue the irrigations 3 times a day for 3 more weeks.

It's now day 11, and I am breathing extremely well. I can fill my lungs in less than two seconds, where it used to take 7 breathing through my nose.

I was very anxious about the surgery. But now that it's done, I am thrilled! I only wish I had been able to do this years before.

Obviously, I am not a doctor. If you find any of this useful, talk to your doctor before you implement any of it. When it doubt, ask your doctor. This is not medical advice.