You may notice some dark brown nasal discharge for several weeks after your surgery. This is old blood and mucus being cleared from the sinuses and is normal. Also, thick yellow or white drainage is common. This does not mean you have a sinus infection.
- Use salt water (saline) rinses beginning 1 to 2 days after surgery to wash away any crust and surgical debris.
- Your doctor may recommend that you use a nasal steroid spray 15-30 minutes after using the salt-water rinse.
- You will need several visits after surgery to clear out old blood and mucus.
NASAL CONGESTION: A stuffy nose is normal following sinus/nasal surgery due to swelling of the tissues. This may last up to one (1) week after surgery. Nasal congestion may be alleviated by humidification of the nose with a cool mist vaporizer or humidifier.
Sleeping on your side or stomach is not recommended for several weeks after the procedure because it places unnecessary pressure on your nose. Resting on your back in an elevated position cuts down on congestion and minimizes swelling after rhinoplasty surgery.
You may experience a sore throat for several days after your surgery due to the breathing tube used during surgery. Limit your activity for the first week following surgery. Avoid bending at the waist or picking up heavy objects. Overexertion may result in bleeding.
Lana Bandoim of E Max Health writes, “Many patients have reported that they have actually lost weight after rhinoplasty. Although each patient's unique circumstances will affect the outcome, it is possible for one to shed extra pounds after the surgery.
As the post-surgical swelling gradually subsides, nasal sensory perception will improve and smells and tastes will become more defined again. In most patients, it takes about 3 to 6 weeks for sense of smell to fully return.
The results after FESS are good, with most studies reporting an 80 to 90 percent rate of success.
Surgery involves enlarging the openings between the sinuses and the inside of the nose so air can get in and drainage can get out. It may involve removing infected sinus tissue, bone or polyps.
Nasal packing will make nose breathing impossible and an oral airway may facilitate mouth breathing.
What can I eat after rhinoplasty? For the first 24 hours after surgery, you should consume cool, bland food like soda crackers and ginger ale to minimize the side effects of anesthesia. Over the next few days, soft foods such as mashed potatoes, smoothies, oatmeal, soup, and Gatorade are recommended.
Avoid hitting or bumping your nose for at least one week following surgery. It is not wise to pick up small children who may inadvertently bump your nose. Sleep with the head of the bed elevated until all the dressings have been removed from the nose.
After the surgery the removal of the nasal packings in terms of the patient is a painful and scary process. For this reason there are many researches in the literature about the issue pointing the patient comfort. The process of packing removal can lead anxiety, fear and stress in patients.
Typically, nasal stents are placed in the nose for 12 to 18 days with a dissolvable white jelly-like packing.
This allows air to pass freely through the sinuses once the surgery site has healed. But over time, the diseased tissue can grow back. Within two to five years, some patients' symptoms also come back, and some of them may require more surgery to get their sinuses back into good working order.
The majority of people that have sinus surgery report their symptoms improve greatly afterward. They have easier breathing, fewer infections, and increased sense of smell. To many people who have repeated sinus infections and difficulty breathing, this surgery is well worth the minimal risks it carries.
You'll have some swelling and tenderness inside your nose after the surgery, but this is normal. You may have symptoms like a severe cold or a sinus infection. This is due to swelling, dry blood, mucus, and crusting in your nose.
After a rhinoplasty, the posterior pharynx (the area in the back of the mouth and throat), and/or the area near the back of the nose may swell. When any swelling in the mouth and nose occurs, it blocks off the eustachian tube, and patients will feel a slightly uncomfortable pressure in the ears.
It can take several weeks for you to fully recover. You'll have some swelling and tenderness inside your nose after the surgery, but this is normal. You may have symptoms like a severe cold or a sinus infection. This is due to swelling, dry blood, mucus, and crusting in your nose.
You may shower 2 days after surgery. If you shower, use a dry washcloth or plastic wrap over splint/tape. Please shower or bathe using only lukewarm water for first 2 weeks after surgery. No hot baths or showers!
DO NOT wash hair for one week unless you have someone else do it for you. DO NOT GET NASAL DRESSING WET. Avoid clothing that is required to slip over the head. Absolutely avoid any sun exposure for 6 weeks after surgery.
Low-grade fever after nasal surgery is common. Please notify our office if your temperature is 101°F or higher and does not respond to ibuprofen or acetaminophen. Some bloody nasal and postnasal drainage after nasal surgery is expected.
Conclusion: Sinonasal surgery can change the acoustic characteristics of the vocal tract and produce a significant increase in nasality in the early phase. However, after proper healing of the nasal cavity, nasality was observed to become similar to the preoperative level.
When the total layer of nasal mucosa was injured mechanically, regenerative stratified epithelium covered the defect in 1 week, new ciliated cells appeared in 3 weeks, and complete regeneration was observed at 6 weeks.
The nose packing can be removed approximately two days after this rhinoplasty surgery. This can be performed at home with the help of friends or family. The packing is shaped like a cylinder about the length of one's finger and it has a string on the end to aid in removal.
Home treatments
- applying petroleum jelly or using nasal saline spray to keep the nasal passages from drying out.
- using creams like pain-free Neosporin to fight infection and reduce pain.
- leaving scabs alone and not picking at them.
- not smoking or using drugs.
Internal nasal trauma can occur when the cartilage or the blood vessels inside your nose get damaged. Common causes of internal nasal trauma include: infections from nasal piercings. irritation caused by inhaling certain substances.
