Has anyone had a septoplasty and/or rhinoplasty?

saracatherine89

Hi everyone,

I just consulted with an ENT due to constant sinus infections and breathing obstructions in my nose for the duration of my life. He told me my septum was extremely deviated (shaped like an S!) which caused my obstruction, and I have extremely swollen turbinates AS WELL AS needing my tonsils out since they are 2x normal size and I have had many reoccurring cases of strep that have left them inflamed and scarred and cause me to choke on food sometimes. I am pro-getting this surgery because I have been troubled by this issue for years. Especially now that I am trying to get into shape and exercise, I am struggling breathing during my workouts and runs and having trouble falling asleep.

I was wondering- I know that my insurance and deductible will cover the 3 surgeries I need, but I do have a hump on my nose as well that is purely cosmetic, and I am interested in getting a rhinoplasty on top of the septoplasty, tonsillectomy and turbinectomy. I know it will be easier to recover from all of these at once instead of getting multiple surgeries and having to take lots and lots of unpaid leave from work. Does anyone know how much extra $$ out of pocket I'd need to pay to get the rhinoplasty in addition? I have heard that plastic surgeons will discount for more surgeries being done at once...but as I have never gone under the knife I cannot judge from my own experience. Has anyone had a similar experience where they needed surgery on their nose/sinuses for health reasons but added the rhinoplasty in addition??

Any experiences- sinus surgery, nose surgery, regardless of similarity would be much appreciated

saracatherine89

bumpity bumpy bump!

MzBug

I had a 4 in 1 surgery done in April of 09. Septoplasty, turbinate reduction and 2 other sinus reconstruction procedures. I did not have rhinoplasty or tonsilectomy. By the time I saw a GOOD ENT it was like I was trying to breathe through one of those red coffee stir sticks, one side was completely blocked. Years of sinus infections (followed by the URI's), suspected sleep apnea and very bad snoring were my motivation. In all honesty it was the best/worst thing I have ever done. Best in that now I don't snore, I can breathe, don't have sinus issues, or get very many colds...if I get one it doesn't last very long or get very bad. Worst in that it was the worst pain I have ever had in my life....for about 7 days. I still have some nerve issues, if I touch the end of my nose I feel a tickle above the inside of my eye and vice versa. My nose also gets cold (and stays cold) much easier than it used to. I also can't stand any wind blowing in my face, even from a ceiling fan at night. I figure it was a fair trade. I never knew what I was missing when I couldn't breathe.

Plan on being off work 7-10 days while on good pain killers. Figure 4-7 days of sleeping upright. 4-8 weeks of no bending over, lifting anything, straining of any kind (including going poo) or cardio. Buy lots of nasal wash soloution and a couple of the squeeze bottles not the neti pot. Neosporin and q-tips. Expect some really gross things to come out of your nose. Your sense of smell will change for a while, as will your sense of taste. Your voice and speech will change. You will not want anything near your nose, including sun glasses for a while. Expect a sore throat until they take the splints out of your nose. You will also get to use some steroid nasal sprays and probably some sort of prescription allergy pills. I was taken off all medications (including motrin/asprin/tylenol) for 2 weeks prior to surgery and for a week after. Your recovery depends on how deep they go and how much bone and tissue they remove. Mine was rather extensive and not normal.

Any other questions, feel free to message me. Good Luck!

AmericanExpat

I had sinus surgery in February 2010 and I am so glad I did. I had heard a lot of horror stories from people about the recovery but mine was not bad at all. I was on pain meds for one day and then good. I do notice now though when my sinus are acting up some there is some pain in the area I had surgery, but I don't get infections all the time like I used to.