“What awaits patients after septoplasty?”
Otorhinolaryngologist of the highest category at the VITAMED MEDICAL clinic Said Igamberdievich Khudayberganov will introduce you to an article on the topic: “What awaits patients after septoplasty?”
A deviated nasal septum occurs in people due to various reasons and factors. Some people suffer from this, others hardly notice the defect - however, rhinosurgeons are confident that only a few can boast of the absence of such a problem. Sometimes, no matter how deformed the nasal septum is, patients do not complain at all about disturbances in free nasal breathing, and in such cases there is no need to resort to surgery, since this is not even a cosmetic defect.
Also, very often people suffer from non-functional nasal breathing - frequent nasal congestion, a feeling of discomfort, predominantly oral breathing, snoring, headaches and fatigue. You can get rid of the curvature with the help of surgery - septoplasty. Today, in the arsenal of rhinosurgeons, there are various methods of nasal septum surgery.
But what will happen after septoplasty, how is the rehabilitation period, what effect and when to expect, and what complications may there be? You will find answers to these questions in this article.
This rehabilitation period is of enormous importance and often determines the success of the operation. We can confidently say that a brilliantly performed operation by an experienced rhinosurgeon is only 50% of success, the remaining 50% is a properly carried out rehabilitation period.
The rehabilitation period after septoplasty has its own inherent characteristics.
At the final stage of the operation, the septum is fixed in its new position with special plates and tampons. In our practice at the VITAMED MEDICAL clinic, we use special hemostatic tampons with a special silicone tube, which allows the patient to breathe after surgery until the tampons are removed. After 1-2 days, the tampons are removed, which, however, does not bring the desired relief (breathing does not become easier, or rather, it does, but not immediately). From this moment you begin to take care of yourself daily for 2 weeks.
What is included in the concept of “care”? First of all, every day the doctor must clean the patient’s nasal cavities from crusts that have formed, perform a so-called nasal shower (a 0.9% saline solution is used for this) and lubricate the mucous membrane with special ointments.
Nasal breathing will be completely restored after the process of crust formation stops and the swelling of the mucous membrane subsides (even if it is small, it affects breathing in any case). The swelling goes away 7-10 days after surgery.
You can return to your normal lifestyle after 1-2 weeks, although physical activity must be limited for at least a month. It is strictly forbidden to drink alcohol, lift weights, sunbathe, fly on an airplane for the first 2 weeks, or visit the pool. You should especially not take medications containing aspirin or caffeine.
Effect of the operation
As mentioned earlier, the effect becomes pronounced on the 7-10th day after septoplasty, when the swelling goes away and crusts stop forming. It becomes noticeably easier and more comfortable for patients to breathe. The blood no longer pools and dries. These are the basic and important aspects.
Complications after nasal septoplasty do not occur often, but they do occur; they can be divided into early and late.
First of all, severe early and late bleeding and hematomas are possible (this is typical for endoscopic septoplasty). To prevent the accumulation of blood between the layers of the nasal mucosa (hematoma formation), the surgeon places penetrating sutures on the nasal septum and places silicone splint plates on both sides.
From time to time, patients encounter a septal abscess, the causes of which can be purulent sinusitis, pieces of cartilage and blood clots between the layers of the mucosa. Prevention includes sanitation of purulent foci before surgery and the prescription of antibiotics after, for at least 5 days.
Synechiae are fibrin clots that accumulate in the nasal passages due to improper care of the nasal cavity and adhere to each other, making breathing difficult. It is better to prevent them, so pay more attention to your rehabilitation. After all, the success of septoplasty largely depends on those 2 weeks when you need to take care of yourself as much as possible.
Particular attention should be paid to the individual characteristics of the rehabilitation of the nasal mucosa. Due to various factors (such as dry climate and heavy dust, the specific nature of the work, which involves frequentth contact with various irritants for the nasal mucosa - acids, pungent odors, high temperatures), the mucous membrane is exposed to aggressive factors, its morphology changes, the process of subatrophy arises and occurs in its varying severity.
There are categories of people who need a more thorough approach before and after surgery - these are bakers, cooks, jewelers, workers who do not use special protective respirators in dusty workshops, and people who have a history of cocaine use and substance abuse.
The rhinosurgeon pays special attention to changes of this kind before the surgical period, carries out special medical preparation and, most importantly, more carefully carries out the necessary procedures in the postoperative rehabilitation period.
You can ask any questions you are interested in by sending a request by email or by contacting us by phone:
info@vitamed.uz
(+998 71) 129-81-81
(+998 71) 129-82-82
Additional information:
www.vitamed.uz
Telegram channel - https://telegram.me/vitameduz
Ambulance – 1063, (+998 71) 129-00-03
Be healthy and take care of your loved ones!