I am having sinus surgery tomorrow morning. I am having a slightly deviated septum fixed, a polyp removed and then the sinuses. Both ostias are 100% blocked so I don't get any normal nasal drainage. I'm not sure if I really want to know, but decided to ask. What can I expect after the surgery as far as recovery? I hope I can finally breathe freely after recovering without needing decongestants. I understand that you can only breathe through your mouth for several days after the surgery. I dread this more than anything else. I hope they can prescribe me something to take the edge off if this is the case.

PVCsick,

Hey, first relax. I have had two sinus surgeries.. or is it three now.. any way my husband has had two, my brother and mother each one, my sister-in-law one.. get the picture?

I had about the roughest you can get in conjunction with a tonsillectomy and adnoidectomy 5 weeks ago today. It is not that bad. You will have a sinus headache if you let you sinuses dry out... and they will... use that saline solution every two hours just like the ENT tells you. Main difficulties I had were the restriction to leaning over. The surgery will make you very aware of your head and its placement. You will have a lot of drainage coming down the back of your throat.. to the dgree it might make you sick to your stomach. But, you can and will quickly get over the surgery. Take your pain meds., irrigate those sinuses, and you will do just fine. The worst that tends to happen are lightheadness if you move to quickly (sitting/laying
to standing), nausea (drainage), and nose bleeding (sneezing, drying out, leaning forward (first 3-5 days)).
Sincerely,
MG

Thanks MG!

I had the surgery late morning and was home late afternoon. I had slight nausea on the way home and I'm just now getting a headache, drugs wearing off I think. No pain from the surgery itself and no nasal leakage problems so far. I am breathing very freely through both nostrils. They did have me spray 6 shots of nasal decongestant in each nostril before the surgery, maybe that is why. I guess I will know in the morning. The recovery room nurse said they did not do the septoplasty, I don't know why. I was surprised they even wanted to do this since mine is only slightly deviated. Maybe once the surgeon was in there he saw it wasn't worth doing??? I'm suppose to hear from the surgeon tomorrow.