Everything You Need To Know About Endoscopic Sinus Surgery

An empty sinus is a healthy sinus, meaning your sinus should be moist and able to drain freely. However, when you have a blockage in your sinus, you could develop pain and inflammation, which persist without treatment. Yet again, standard treatments may fail to treat your sinusitis. Marrero ENT of New Orleans offers sinus surgery that your doctor does endoscopically, meaning you will not require an incision. Endoscopic sinus surgery will offer your doctor high accuracy in locating the blockage causing your sinusitis and treating it to offer you relief. The following discussion will inform you about what endoscopic sinus surgery involves and how to prepare.
What Will an Endoscopic Sinus Surgery Do?
Your doctor may recommend endoscopic sinus surgery if you are experiencing persistent sinus infections, and sinus tumors, especially if a saline solution and other treatments fail. Also, sinus surgery may be an option if your sinuses keep coming back and causing tissue growth and abnormal swelling in your sinuses. Sinus surgery aims to reduce sinus infection severity, improve sinusitis symptoms and increase airflow through your nose.
How Do You Prepare for Endoscopic Sinus Surgery?
You will take your prescribed medications before and after surgery to reduce inflammation while stopping using certain medications to lower your risk of bleeding. Also, a month after your surgery, you may need to cease smoking to lower the risk of poor healing, which may cause your surgery to fail. You can also purchase OTC medications like a nasal saline mist to help you recover.
What Will Happen During Your Endoscopic Sinus Surgery?
You will be under general anesthesia during the whole procedure. During your surgery, your surgeon will insert an endoscope into your nostril to visualize your sinus tissues. Once your doctor locates the problem, they insert specialized surgical tools that pass through your nostril and open your sinuses. Your doctor will then remove whatever is causing your sinus blockage.
What Can You Experience After Surgery?
You will likely have some bleeding for the first five days after your surgery. You can slightly tilt your head and gently breathe to reduce the bleeding. Also, you can expect pain which may feel like a dull ache in your sinuses. Your doctor will recommend acetaminophen to help relieve your discomfort and pain. Meanwhile, your breathing and nasal passage will return to normal three weeks after your surgery.
What Will Be Part Of Your Postoperative Care?
You will receive instructions on how to relieve discomfort after surgery. Your doctor will recommend using a nasal saline mist spray two to three hours after your surgery to make your nose comfortable. Your doctor will also recommend starting your sinus irrigation with a rinse kit daily after surgery. While it may feel strange initially, you will find it soothing as it cleans out debris left after surgery.
Endoscopic sinus surgery only becomes an option after you have tried other standard treatments for a sinus infection but still experience persistent sinusitis. Chronic sinusitis will cause your sinus tissue to swell abnormally and cause pain, sometimes interfering with your breathing. Endoscopic sinus surgery aims to relieve your symptoms and ensure healthy drainage by clearing the cause of the blockage. After surgery, you will most likely experience an improvement in your symptoms, so you do not experience facial pain and discomfort.