David Turnbull

A work-in-progress human being.

What It’s Like To Get Deviated Septum Surgery: Diagnosis, Recovery, and Results

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Deviated Septum vs. Normal Septum

Three years ago, I noticed that I couldn’t breathe out of my left nostril.

This feels like the sort of thing I should have noticed right away, and yet it’s a detail that had somehow alluded me for years.

How do I know the issue hadn’t recently developed?

Because, after realising the issue, I visited an Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) specialist, and within moments of walking into his office, he asked me, “So, when did you break your nose?”

I answered, “I didn’t.”

Then he nodded. “You did,” he said, taking a closer look at my nose. “It’s crooked. A nose isn’t supposed to look like that.”

But I couldn’t have broken my nose recently, as nothing had hit me in the face that recently. I could, however, recall multiple times of getting hit in the face as a teenager while playing soccer, rugby, and baseball.

Upon further inspection, I was diagnosed with a deviated septum. This is where the bone between your nostrils deviates from its natural position, restricting airflow in one (or both) of your nostrils. Plenty of people have a deviated septum (it can be genetic) and aren’t noticeably affected by them, but the doctor was quick to label my case as “severe.”

The good news is, fixing a deviated septum isn’t complicated. It’s a very low risk endeavour. The bad news is, it does require surgery. There is no other way to return your airways to their maximum capacity.

Feeling compelled to nip this issue in the bud, I elected to have this surgery in April of 2014, and I’m happy to report that I lived to tell the tale. Prior to the surgery though, I’d been curious about other people’s experiences. What was the surgery like? Was it difficult to recover? I found some blog posts and YouTube videos that discussed the process, but nothing comprehensive. That’s why I’m writing this article: to help people with a deviated septum get an idea of what to expect from the process.

Symptoms

Breathing is an important part of existing, so having restricted airflow through your nostrils can be problematic.

Most notably, a deviated septum can cause:

  • Poor sleep
  • A reduced sense of taste and smell
  • Mouth breathing

The mouth breathing in particular is a nasty side-effect, as it can cause a variety of dental problems and physically alter the structure of your face. (This could explain why I have a receding chin.)

Not Mouth Breathing vs. Mouth Breathing
These girls are twins. The one on the right is a mouth-breather.

Since all of these symptoms can stem from other sources though, the best way to self-diagnose is to block each nostril, one at a time, and breathe slowly. Do you notice that one nostril is much more difficult to breathe out of? If so, you probably have a deviated septum. In my case, I couldn’t breathe in or out of my left nostril at all. Yours might not be as severe though.

Diagnosis

Although a deviated septum can be easy to self-diagnose, it’s always worthwhile to get a professional opinion. (You’ll have to get one anyway before opting for surgery.)

Fortunately, the diagnostic process is straight-forward enough.

I saw two specialists about the issue — the second one, Dr. Jason Roth — is the one who eventually performed the surgery, and they both identified the problem in the same way:

  1. Directed me to a reclining chair.
  2. Sprayed a local anaesthetic into my nostrils. (It ran down the back of my throat and tasted terrible.)
  3. Shoved a camera into my nostrils and had a look around.

It was a mildly uncomfortable process, but nothing too miserable. It was about as annoying as a dental check-up, but it was over in a matter of seconds. My eyes watered a little, and the taste of the anaesthetic hung around for a while, but there was no outright pain.

Septoplasty vs. Rhinoplasty

There are two common surgeries for the nose: the septoplasty and the rhinoplasty. To fix a deviated septum, the septoplasty is the surgery that will be of interest to you, as it’s the surgery that is conducted to straighten the nasal septum. A rhinoplasty, in contrast, is colloquially known as a “nose job,” and it’s a purely cosmetic surgery for redesigning the look of your nose.

If your deviated septum is severe, it can cause your nose to look crooked, which is why some people elect to get both surgeries at once. This does cost more overall, but costs less than getting both surgeries separately and means you only have to deal with a single recovery process. I decided not to get a rhinoplasty though, as I wasn’t too concerned about the look of my nose. I just wanted to breathe properly. Even so, it’s always worth knowing about the options that are available to you.

Preparing for Surgery

Compared to most surgeries, a septoplasty is fairly unremarkable. It’s low-risk, only lasts a couple of hours, and the recovery process isn’t particularly long or hard (in most cases).

Your surgeon will inform you of everything you need to know to prepare for your surgery, but in my experience, these were the most important points:

  1. For two weeks prior to your surgery, avoid anything that can thin the blood. This includes a range of medication, some non-prescription pain killers, and garlic. (You’ll also have to avoid these items after the surgery.)
  2. Recovery will take 1-3 weeks. If you’re employed, try to get as much time off as possible. There is, however, a decent chance that you’ll feel recovered enough to work after the first week.
  3. Buy a Neti Pot. These are a gross but excellent way to clean out mucus and dried blood from your nostrils, which will be necessary after your surgery. You’ll be using it a lot.
  4. Stock up on soft foods. Eating can be difficult after surgery, and you don’t want to arrive home from the hospital without anything suitable in the fridge, so it’s worth stocking up beforehand. Softer foods like yoghurt are ideal.
  5. Buy sore throat lozenges. You’ll probably do a lot of mouth breathing for the first few days after surgery, resulting in a dry, sore throat. Having some lozenges on hand should help reduce the discomfort.
  6. Prepare for boredom. You can’t do much during the recovery process, so downloading books, movies, and podcasts ahead of time will allow you to quickly pass the time once you’re home. It might also be a good time to binge-watch some Netflix series.

Recovering From Surgery

There’s not much to say about the surgery itself. I went to the hospital, put on a gown, lay in a bed, got wheeled into a surgery room, and fell asleep shortly after the anaesthetist asked me to count to ten. Two hours later, I woke up shivering and groggy, but after the nurses dumped some blankets on me, I soon came back to my senses and the recovery process had begun.

It’s impossible to predict how any individual person will recover ahead of time, as it depends on a variety of factors, such as severity of your septum deviation, the skill of your surgery, your age, and your pain tolerance. Overall though, I found the experience to be manageable. It wasn’t comfortable, for reasons I’ll explain a moment, but it didn’t feel worse than a standard flu.

These are my observations of what you can expect after the septoplasty:

  1. Your throat will be sore. This is because of the anaesthetic, but you’re allowed to take enough pain killers to reduce your suffering.
  2. You can stay overnight at the hospital. A lot of the time, you don’t have to do this, and one disadvantage is that it will cost more, but I found it comforting to have nurses nearby, just in case I started bleeding more than I should have. In the end though, I never needed the nurse’s assistance. I returned home the following day without incident.
  3. Your nose will bleed. Don’t be alarmed. This is normal. Have an ice pack handy and place it below your nose to stop the bleeding. If the bleeding continues for minutes at a time, call your doctor.
  4. Some blood will slide down your throat. This is gross but inevitable. Your best bet is to just swallow it. Considering how swollen and sore your face will be, trying to spit out the blood will likely hurt too much.
  5. You’ll have foam packing in your nostrils. These will help absorb some of the blood immediately after the surgery and will usually be removed 12-48 hours after the surgery. You’ll find it a little easier to breathe once the packing is removed.
  6. You might have plastic splints in your nostrils. These ensure that your septum heals properly, but they do make it difficult to breathe for as long they’re in. Once they’re removed though, which should happen roughly a week after the surgery, there’ll be nothing left to obstruct your airways and you’ll be able to feel the full effect of the surgery.
  7. Your sleep will suck. Elevating your head with a couple of pillows will help, but in my case, the best solution was just to stay up late, exhaust myself, and fall to sleep only when I couldn’t stand to keep my eyelids open any longer.
  8. Showering is tricky. This is because you’re not supposed to get warm water on your head, as that’ll stimulate more blood flow, which is something you want to avoid. As such, you’ll have to have cold showers, avoid getting your head wet, or not shower at all.
  9. Nasal sprays can provide mild relief. Chances are, your doctor will provide you with one of these. It never seemed to make that big of a difference though.
  10. Neti Pots provide the most relief. Hopefully you picked up one of these before surgery, as they do provide significant relief once the splints have been taken out. Don’t use them too early though, as they require you to pour warm water into your nostrils, which could stimulate blood flow early in the recovery process.
  11. Headaches are inevitable. These were almost the worst part of the recovery process (aside from trying to sleep) and there’s not much you can do to avoid the pain entirely. Whenever I got one, I just made sure to look into the future and realise that, in the grand scheme of things, the recovery process isn’t that long.

Tracking Your Sleep

Something you might want to do before getting surgery is track your current sleeping habits with a device like the Fitbit Flex 2. Alternatively, download an app like Sleep Cycle, which won’t provide data that’s as accurate, but can be useful in determining relative improvements in your sleep. This isn’t strictly necessary, but I think it’s interesting to see if, mathematically, the surgery has improved at least one aspect of your life.

In my case, for instance, my sleep quality varied between 50-78% in the days before surgery. After I recovered from surgery though, the average jumped to around 90%.

SleepCycle - Before & After Surgery

Practically, this meant I was:

  • Falling asleep quicker.
  • Waking up less frequently.
  • Moving less in my sleep.
  • Sleeping for longer.

It’s hard to quantify the exact impact that improved sleep provides, but no one would contest the point that improved sleep is always a good thing. It’s how we recover, reset, and heal, and the fact that I’ve seen a numerical boost in my ability to get some quality shut-eye has only left me more grateful that I was able to discover that I had a problem and then get it fixed.

Was It Worth It?

The short answer is, “Yes.”

After the surgeon remove the plastic splints from my nostrils, roughly a week after the surgery, I took in a big, deep breath, and felt a surprising amount of air travelling into my nose. I hadn’t breathed so clearly in as long as I could remember. Both of my nostrils were now pulling their weight.

My sleep improved, smells were more intense, and overall, I was satisfied with what the cost, time, and energy of the surgery and recovery process had gotten me.

Three years on though, there is a caveat:

I am no longer breathing as clearly through my left nostril as I was the moment the splints were taken out. I can’t pinpoint when it happened, but my left nostril has partially closed up again. This, I knew, was a possibility. I believe it has something to do with how the inside of the nostril heals, and I’m not sure it’s something that can be avoided. For some people, the benefit of the surgery will decrease over time.

However, that’s not to say the benefit will disappear.

I can still breathe through my left nostril, which is not something I could do at all before the surgery, so there was an improvement. My right nostril is doing most of the work though, so the benefit is no longer as pronounced.

In the end, I’m still glad I got the surgery. It was reasonably priced, straight-forward, and fairly easy to recover from. I’m not lusting over more surgeries, but I certainly don’t regret the time and money I’ve spent on this one.

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Comments

  1. Although I don’t think I have a deviated-septum still interesting to read 🙂
    Glad that it helped you

    • Hope this helps. I have a helluva experience with DNS.
      Sharing my conquest and experience.
      With Balloon Sinuplasty, there is no cutting of nasal bone or tissue. With Balloon Sinuplasty, ENT doctors open inflamed sinuses in the same way that heart surgeons open up blocked arteries during balloon angioplasty. The procedure is less invasive than traditional sinus surgery, and effective at relieving symptoms of chronic sinusitis. Balloon Sinuplasty allows patients to return to normal activities quickly. Unlike conventional sinus surgery, it does not include removal of bone or tissue from the nose. And, Balloon Sinuplasty is now offered by some doctors in their office under local anesthesia, so that there is no need to go to an operating room or undergo general anesthesia.

      While recovery time varies with each patient, recovery is typically fast. In a study of in-office balloon dilation, most patients returned to work and normal activity within 2 days.

      However, even I am suffering the same since childhood, though in my case it is just moderate.

      Again, in my experience, I have also seen patients find no relief in Sinoplasty but still its far better and you get immediate relief to a major extent in most cases.

      See its like this there are chances you will get completely cured or in case the symptoms might return as well.

      Its just sometimes you are body is susceptible to DNS.

      So, in the long run if you have the time and patience and believe in holistic healing, then I would suggest you go for Yoga and practice breathing excercise also called Pranayam.

      Some of them are alternative nostril breathing (AnilomVilom) and Kapalabhati. With these techniques you can surely get cured of your DNS but it will take around 6 months to 1 year. But life long you will be cured. You just have to find a right Yoga Guru and you have to increase the intensity of the breathing excercise as you start.

      Also Neti Pot ( Please Google -Nasal irrigation), is excellent. It hardly takes 5 minutes everyday. It might be hard in the beginning but don’t give up. Surely, if you get a Good Yoga Teacher he can help you in 3-6 months time.

      This is my experience. Now I am just doing Neti Poti and I am fine but I have to do it religiously without missing.

  2. I have a sigmoid shaped deviated septum, snore, etc. and turbinates in my right nostril, so one side of my nose is often congested. I’ve been told that I should have the same surgery that you had.

    I was basically warned that it was very painful, especially during recovery, and, as an “optional” surgery, that pretty much put me off doing it was a 42 year old guy. How bad did you really find the recovery to be? How painful was the procedure day of, etc? Was it done under a local or a general? (The former can make it a bit psychologically distressing as you’re awake and listening to them working away!)

    • Hi Im 3 days into recovery from Septoplasty on the NHS. Outpatients pre-admission admission into Day surgery unit all the pre-op care was superb. I had my own designated nurse and nothing was overlooked. I was seen promptly by my designated Consultant and the anesthetist and prepared for and taken for operation within 3 hrs of arrival as there were other patients on the list for ENT too. The Day surgery Unit is outstanding clean bright and everywhere were cheerful friendly staff and a real team atmosphere and this happy camaraderie continued in the anesthetic room. All of this is important to a patient. I was awoken as per protocol post surgery by my own nurse and returned to my ward. Post op care was thorough. I was discharged with full advice what to expect immediately and at home (all this had been previously explained by pre admission unit Consultant Anesthetist admission unit anyway but re-iterated) contact nos clear writen advice and my OP appt date. I was waved off by a wonderful group of staff who made me and my husband feel very special.
      So 3 days later not really in pain probably more of a subtle ache taking paracetamol and Ibuprofen as directed as it stops me feeling weary too…advised initially not to put head forward or eat hot foods for 24hrs as can cause nosebleeds and to sleep upright with a V shaped pillow…which I dont need to do now..nose feels a little wooden at the bridge area…I feel congested..I wont blow my nose for 2 weeks as instructed but this isn’t troublesome..I sneeze with my mouth open as directed if necessary. Basically I slept sounder and at this early stage and I can breathe through my left nostril. I feel mostly tired and this encourages me to rest..so I read watch films potter about and do light work until I have to rest again (I’m not good at keeping still).

  3. I sure i might have a deviated septum. In my right nostril i have perfect airflow, then on my left barely any at all. My sleep has been pretty horrible in the last 5 years or so. I’ll try to see my doctor soon so i can discuss this with him and she what he thinks.

  4. Wow my Mom just had surgery for her deviated septum back in March due to constant headaches and migraines. She seems to be doing much better now-glad you’re feeling better too. ^_^

  5. I wonder if I have this, I remember when I was really young, about three or four, one of our family friend’s son head butted me right on the top of the bridge of my nose, and I’ve also received many balls from different sports hit the exact place (must be a magnet for impact or something haha) which has made my nose sort of crooked, kinda like a Roman nose. My sense of smell has never been great though every once in a while it does temporarily strengthen.

    What I do have though, is a crossbite and my top jaw being smaller than it should, which means I am going through surgery next year or the year after which will break down my entire jaw and reconstruct it… YAY… though if I have to be honest… kinda excited for the surgery hehe

  6. Yeahp I had the same kind of op in 2010. Adenoids taken out too, as well as my turbinates shaved. I remember the bandage started smelling like bacon after they took the gauze out.

  7. Hi! I am having my septum straightened in the next few months and I am freaking out after watching some YouTube videos. I am not having anything with my sinuses or turbinates touched (not sure if you did OR the people on YouTube) but seeing the clogging and getting that out seems painful and terrifying! Basically she is just straightening my septum… I do not have any issues breathing.

    My DOC said I would have splints in after surgery for a week the she was remove them. Shee said I would feel a bit stuffy from those. She did not mention HUGE piles of blood and mucous coming out OR having to clean those afterwards.

    Any thoughts?

  8. THANKS for the info! You are right in that it is hard to find factual experienced REAL info. I’ve suffered from sleep apnea for years…always tired, can’t use a bipap or a cpap. I know the ENT will tell me I need the surgery. If I can get him to agree to keep me overnight and let me leave with pain meds…. I might consider it. (I’m a wus). Thank you so much!

    • Glad this info was useful, Eve. At the very least, you shouldn’t have trouble with getting enough pain meds. They gave me mild stuff but I was allowed to take eight tablets a day, and that was enough to keep me feeling decent. 🙂

  9. Feel much better from reading your story I have my op in 2 weeks and struggling to breathe or swallow I loo forward to a normal life!!

  10. I was told today that I will need the surgery to straighten out my deviated septum. Sleep apnea and snore very loudly. I’m so scared and reading some of what you say has, calm me somewhat. But I don’t like pain. I am definitely chicken. Thanks again for the breakdown of the EVENT… lol.

  11. Hi what kind of operation was? Broke ur nose or just cut a some part inside? Im mouth breathing since 8-9 years, i noticed some changes in my face shape, like droopy and i thought of some diseases. But also i thought could ne the not enough oxygen supply in brain due to mouthbr. My nose is not straight and the doc said i need operation.

  12. Extremely helpful as my daughter just went through this! Nice to know what to expect in recovery.

  13. Thanks for this article I am having this procedure in a few weeks time and now know what to expect.

  14. Reading your comments are both very interesting and Similar. I am 3 weeks post septorhinoplasty and for me it’s been awful. I have probably had the worst time of things. To me my septum still looks deviated. My GP also agreed slightly but have to wait 3
    Months for the swelling to reduce. I still have bruising, numb front teeth. Painfull jaws, painful nose, pins and needles in face, no sense of taste or smell and I still can’t breathe from my
    Right nostril which is the side im sure
    Is still deviated. At thr moment I’m feeling very low, and can’t see the positive side of my surgery as yet.

  15. Did you have any other symptoms besides difficulties breathing?

    I have constant nasal congestion which is apparently caused by severly deviated septum according to an ENT doctor I visited recently. My nose gets full very quickly (especially left nostril), it’s difficult to blow my nose, and even if I manage to clear it out, it gets blocked again after a couple of minutes. It doesn’t help that I’m allergic but I take meds for that so it shouldn’t affect me this much.

    I also need to clear my throat and cough often because nasty stuff runs from my nose to the back of my throat. I really need this procedure done.

  16. IM 15 years old and I have a deviated septum. I just went to the doctor and I have a surgery in the next two weeks. I am so scared I didn’t relies what happens during the surgery, until I saw YouTube videos. (a nose had a incision on the side and then a plier type tool twisted and broke pieces of the cartilage. what wasn’t told to me was a chisel and mallet being also used to break away bone) 🙁 🙁 :;(
    what am I to aspect don’t sugar coat it plz….

    • During the surgery itself, expect nothing. You’ll be completely asleep. Recovery can be uncomfortable but there’s no need to fear. Just prepare to need a lot of rest afterward. 🙂

  17. Thanks for the article. I have just did mine (yesterday), and your article comforts me as far the pain and others. I breath with my mouth and i cannot wait to breath normally and feel like everybody.
    Thanks again!!!

  18. I just had my surgery yesterday. I can’t taste or smell. Which I’m concerned about….it’s very uncomfortable but I’m hoping the pain gets better. Sleeping Upright is not comfortable at all. Also being severely congested is not fun either.

  19. I had the operation for my deviated septum a year ago. Just saw my Doctor who performed the procedure because I’ve been having the same problems sleeping that had before the surgery. The problem of having one side of my nostril close off as I lay on side of my face and vice-versa. He looks up my nostrils and tells me that my septum looks great and what I’m experiencing is a blood flow issue and there is nothing he can do about it. I just have to live with it. Are you kidding me!? I’m almost back to where I started! What I’m I supposed to do now!?

    • I can almost guarantee you that it’s an “inflammation” issue, not a blood flow issue. Use Flonase and your nose will open up after about one week of use. I’ve had a severe blocked nose (right and left) from about 20 years, and Flonase actually opened me up quite a bit.

  20. Thanks for your article. I am having surgery on 11/24 and a little scared but, hoping it will be worth it. My blockage is almost 100%. Tired of sinus infections all the time.

  21. Extremely helpful. I had severely deviated septum. Stayed overnight in hospital. And was good to go the next day. But Surgeon should have prepared me better as to post op situation. It’s day 6 now. All went well with op but I’m not going to be up and running for at least another week or so. I thought after 2 days it would be work as usual.

  22. Had septoplasty done 5 days ago. The worst part was the jaw & neck pain & headache from the anesthesia during surgery. The nose area hasn’t been painful – just a LOT of pressure which was mostly relieved when they removed the splints 3 days after surgery. The major deviation was left side – that is wonderful at this point. Also corrected a problem near the tip of my nose with bent cartilage on the right side – that still has a few stitches that will dissolve in time. Pain meds for first 3 days really helped. Sense of smell & taste are starting to return. Assistant said that inflammation is affecting that. Taking anti-inflammatories & trying to keep nose cavities clean. Tissues hurt – using gauze instead – followed by bacitracin (not neosporin, as some are allergic). Will be getting a Netti Pot as David suggests – want to be as gentle as possible with those stitches. There have been a few moments of absolute heaven – I didn’t know breathing was supposed to be this easy. I have a feeling this is going to be wonderful very soon. Faith.

  23. I had this surgery about 3 1/2 years ago as I had been suffering sinus infections for years, causing me to be on antibiotics often. I was scared of the surgery and put it off. Then once I finally scheduled it I read some posts that scared me so much I almost jumped off the operating room table when they were getting to put me out as I changed my mind. Luckily, a very nice nurse calmed me and I had the surgery. It was a little more painful than I thought but the pain meds helped. I was worried about not being able to breathe but not as bad as I thought. I am SO happy I had this surgery. I did not realize how bad I felt all the time and how it not only affected my quality of life but my family as well as the kids were used to me feeling crappy and not available for things. I have not had a sinus infection since the surgery and have such a better life now. I highly recommend this surgery!!

  24. 2 weeks since my surgery (deviated septum, sinus scar tissue, polyps). Recovery was painless, used a netti pot and the right side unloaded tons of gunk. The left side still seems to be holding onto some stuff so waiting for that to drop. Still find myself getting tired easily but nothing like the first 5 days. My only problem is at night when I go to bed, if I lay on my side at all, I experience congestion and almost an allergic reaction (itchy throat and runny nose). Swapped out pillow and changed sheets several times over the 2 weeks but it still bothers me. anyone else have issues with sleeping on their side or something similar?

  25. I have a deviated septum and it really affects my confidence when it comes to people looking at my side because it has created a bump at my bridge area. However, as someone who cares a lot about how I look, I wanted to know if the surgery drastically changes the look of your nose?

    • No. Deviated septum surgery (a “septoplasty”) is not a cosmetic surgery. To change the look of you nose, look into getting a “rhinoplasty”. (You can get both surgeries at once if you have breathing trouble though.)

  26. Hey,

    Thanks for the article. I just had the same surgery, as well as the sinus one, done yesterday. Your notes are very spot on. I’m nervous though about a couple things. I didn’t realize that the recovery would take so long and would be as painful as it is (definitely very similar to Flu-like symptoms). I have finals this week and I’m very nervous. What do you think I should do? Should I try contacting my teachers and see if I can change anything? I’m just not sure at this point and I’m getting more and more worried. I thought that since it was just my nose that it wouldn’t be so bad and that I would feel back to normal pretty quickly, though I know now that’s wrong.

    Also, what are the chances of the splints in your nose to accidentally move? My left one feels weird and I’m nervous something may have happened while I was resting. Yet, it could also just be normal pain. This is my first surgery so everything is very new to me. How can you tell if something is wrong with the splints? Are they easy to mess up? Should I call my doctor?

    Thanks!
    You have no idea how much this has helped me!
    -Annie Dahlin

  28. Great info! I had my ‘significantly’ deviated septum fixed 12 days ago. Things are going well and it’s great to hear they will be better than ever eventually!

  29. Thanks for this info. Just had septoplasty done 2 days ago and I concur with the whole sleep thing.. I wake up every few hours because breathing out of my mouth 100% and having to use 3 pillows is abnormal for me. The part that helped me was the whole shower thing. I was worried about having a shower and my doc is gone for the holidays so I cant even phone his office for advice. I think he talked to me after the surgery but I was still coming out of the anesthetic it feels like a dream.

    Totally looking forward to breathing out of the left side of my nose and my crooked nose seems to only be crooked at the middle now and straightens back out at the end. Might just be the swelling but none the less I did this for breathing, not for fashion.

  30. Great information, helps my nerves abit as im getting this done in less then a month, i am a mouth breather and have a deviated septum, enlarged turbunates, an air pocket in my upper turbunate, hole in septum(not a druggo) i am getting septoplasty and rhinoplasty at the same time do you know if there will be much difference in recovery

  31. david…
    I’m having same problem in my both sides of the nose should I proceed for surgery of both sides at once what do you think ?or it’ll hurt alot so I should do it one by one

  32. I had a septoplasty and turbinate reduction performed 8 days ago, because of inability to sleep in other than one position, obstructive sleep apnea (and getting stuffy every night at about 2 AM), oxygen deprivation; and restricted ability to breathe only through nose–with any exertion. Had splints removed today. Experience very similar to others: could not breathe well through splints, ibuprofen was sufficient for limited post-op pain and discomfort; dry mouth soothing products only alleviated mouth-breathing sleeping sore throat for brief periods; while splints were in. Splint removal was painless, with a little “pulling” as one stitch was cut in each nostril. Doctor vacuumed nostrils, advised continued saline use, and gentle blowing, for a few weeks. Easier breathing was immediate–and exhilarating! Realized that most of swelling and nasal discomfort was due to recovery and splints. Swelling and discomfort mostly gone. Nose is a little runny, but mostly clear. Definitely glad that I had it done. Memories of a few days of minor suffering will fade, after years of restricted breathing–and enjoying new “breath of fresh air!”

  33. I am having septoplasty tomorrow. Your article provided lots of good information for me. I am not so much concerned about the pain, but I tend to be somewhat claustrophobic, so I am more worried about feeling a bit panicked by having my nose completely stopped up. I think I can deal with the other issues without too many problems. I just don’t want to have a full-blown panic attack when I wake up from anesthesia.

  34. I am 56 yrs old 2 weeks Post Op from Septoplasty, Tonsillectomy, & Ear Tubes. I CAN BREATHE!!! I won’t sugar-coat this…..ruff, ruff, ruff, BUT I don’t think I suffered one bit from the Septoplasty and this is my second Surgery for Tubes in past 6 weeks. I blame ALL of my pain on the Tonsillectomy. I am STILL in severe pain that my Pain Med is just now beginning to work.
    I broke my nose 40 years ago causing my “interesting” deviated septum (as my ENT called it. My septum was not only deviated but split at the end. I had been a mouth-breather with Sleep Apnea ever since. I could NOT tolerate a CPAP so am hoping this will also improve that. Gotta be honest, haven’t slep more than 2 hours in a row since Surgery, so I don’t know if that is improved yet. I have had a large mass and tissue removed from my blocked nostril also (with 1st Ear Tubes procedure). Let me stress again…I CAN BREATHE! After sufferring from Insomnea also, I can’t wait to see if this helped for that also!
    If I can handle this MAJOR Surgery at my age…you can too!!!
    So far, I would do it again (10 x over) just for the relief I am experiencing!!!!
    PS: Packing Removal is a BITCH!!!

  35. I had a septoplasty and turbinoplasty two days ago. Lots of bleeding afterwards. Thank you for this forum it’s so helpful. It’s not a pleasant post op feeling. My nose is running all the time and I feel smothered. I’m just focusing on next week having the splints out. Good luck to all of you.

  36. I just had these procedures done on the 8th of January :Bilateral endoscopic sphenoid sinusotomy, bilateral nasal endoscopy with ethmoldectomy, bilateral endoscopy with maxillary tissue removal, septoplasty, and bilateral turbinoplasty with radiofrequency. I will say the day of surgery and the day after were pretty good (nose wise). I changed my nose pads every 10-20 minutes (expect some bleeding) the worst though was the sore throat from the tube. Keep Popsicles stocked in the freezer. My only complaint now is how dry my nostrils are, and I have a chunk of dried blood stuck to a splint… keep your nose as moist as possible–use the Afrin and simply saline as doctor notes. Dry mouth is inevitable, and the pain meds will more thank likely stop production of Wonka bars (if you get the drift). Try taking colace or eating apple with the skins in hopes things “come out ok.” Sleep has been difficult, I haven’t been taking pain meds as often as prescribed. Just don’t like the loopy feeling. If you get splints, your 2nd or 3rd day of recovery will have you feeling some front tooth pain and pressure. Splint removal for me is Monday. Do yourself a favor… don’t YouTube your procedure(s) prior to operation. I did this for splint removal. Shouldn’t have. All this being said… I have 0 packing, 0 bruising, and for the most part, I think this was a great thing that needed done. I had been treated for an amoebial infection in my sinus cavities since August. Sorry my post jumps all over the place, but just trying to give as much info as I can. Basically , if you need this done and you have the means… I highly recommend it.

  37. Congratulations to all that have had the procedure done and are reaping the benefits. I need to have the septoplasty surgery but I have a lot of fears. I absolutely require a cpap to sleep (my airway collapses immediately when I fall asleep without cpap) ENT said I can’t use cpap after the septoplasty for up to 2 weeks. I told him I won’t be able to sleep then for 2 weeks and he said he didn’t have an answer for me.
    Does anybody have any idea how I can get through this procedure? I feel like my body will break down with 2 weeks of no sleep. Thank you for any help anyone can offer me.

    • John: I, too, use a CPAP (full face mask); and was told by my doctor that I could use it, starting the day of the operation. I waited one night because of residual bleeding. I found that I could not keep my nostrils sufficiently clear, with the splints in, using saline spray, to breath through my nose. Using the CPAP’s humidifier helped, but my mouth and throat became dry, waking me up about every two hours. Over-the-counter dry mouth relief products (spray and gel) did provide some relief. After the splints came out (8 days) my CPAP use was fully back to normal. I recommend that you contact your Sleep Clinic, advise them of your pending septoplasty, and see if they can provide a mask that will facilitate mouth breathing during your recovery. The operation is definitely worth it. Good luck!

  38. Thnx for sharing after septoplasty experience, ,, I m 32 yrs guy from delhi,,, I m extremely mouth breather during sleep. bcoz of that I wakeup between sleep and drink water,, without water bottel near me. I can’t sleep. and I suffering thise problem last 5 years ago,,,, recently I had chronic sinus problem, so my family doctor prescribe me to vist ENT specialist, ,ENT doctor see my nose thro small stick camera and told me that .I m suffering Devited nasal septum,,, doctor ask me did I fight someone before? or is something blow on your nose?,,, so I told him no,,, bocoz I didn’t remember,but when think deeply then I realize that,, I have some clash with my friend and we both fight to eachother and he slap on my face, well,, then doctor prescribe me some medecine and told me I need.. septoplasty for finesh my mouth breathing problem, after read thise blog ,,I m confident for surgery :),,,, mightbe in thise week or more early I do thise job for sure,, then after I will write my review again…is theresome one who want to share with me any suggestions regarding to septoplasty. so plzz write me on my email,,,, samsungkhan91@gmail.com,,

  39. I am having this surgery in a few weeks and I am terrified! I have several other problems besides the deviated septum.

  40. Do not be terrified. I am 2 days post surgery people scared me but I can believe how easy it has been. Slight bleeding first 2 days you feel blocked up like a mild cold but no pain at all. No pain killers taken. So much easier than I expected!!!

    • I would agree with you on this. I just had the surgery done two weeks ago. There was some pain but not unbearable. Bleeding stopped after a few days.

      I think what everyone needs to be aware of is that every person is different and everyone’s deviated septum is different. Some people may have a high pain tolerance and for some, their septum may heal faster. It just depends. I’m two weeks post surgery and I’ve had some headaches but I’m prone to those. I stopped taking the pain killers after probably 4-5 days and I didn’t need them after that. My energy came back after about day 6 or 7. I still can’t fully breathe at two weeks as gunk is still coming out but I can tell my nose is still swollen. It’s getting there! At times, I can notice that I can breathe wonderfully out of the right nostril which was the problem side. I’m looking forward to a full recovery! I was anxious like many of you but please don’t be scared. I would recommend this surgery to anyone. Bring a person or two for support at the hospital and to drive you back home but once they prepare you for the surgery, you’re knocked out and don’t remember a thing! Make sure to do as the doctor says: ice the nose, take the pain pills and antibiotics and REST. Doing those things will get your body back faster. Also I do want to note that I didn’t have foam packing in my nose so I’m guessing it just depends on your nose and the doctor, etc. I was surprised at how easy it all was. Good luck to everyone!!!

    • I imagine the surgeon will suggest you wait until you’re at least eighteen (or maybe even older).

  42. After suffering with sinus infections for 2 years and no treatments helped.I had some bone chiselled out of my nose. With only a spray into my mouth and nose, for pain, it was done in the lecture hall of the university of Leipzig Germany. Because it was very seldom done they wanted the med. students to be able to watch it. My nose was packed with face and since the blood had dried when it was removed it was very painful.-But it helped and I had no more problems for years. And when I did have I was already in Canada and the clinic suctioned it out.

  43. Ive really enjoyed reading your experience..i had a septoplasty & limited FESS on Weds 21/1/15, and what you have said is so true! Altho my nose feels sore & blocked with crust & whatever else is up there, i woke up sat morning breathing through my nose! My right side was almost closed by all accts & i can now breath! I must admit i feel like ive been hit in the face with a shovel & i have had & if i’m being honest, still am, in a lot of discomfort (& i have a high pain threshold) but i dont care because i know its going to be worth it in the end. I never gave it a thought till i read what you said about being lethargic & tired all the time.i have felt like this for yrs & i was beginning to think there was something seriously wrong with me.. even to the point where i was feeling very depressed.i had no interest in anything..and now i’m wondering if my breathing could have been part of this problem ( i also suffer with Asthma and have become ‘scared’ these past few yrs since being diagnosed with Asthma.i’m taking my recovery a day at a time & slowy! Hopefully this will be very beneficial to me in the future. If anyone is in doubt.. dont be.it will benefit you..just be patient with your recovery time.
    🙂

  44. I just had my tonsils out and deviated septum fixed 5 days ago. I got my splints out today and wow I can breath great! My main concern is my sense of smell and taste. I can’t taste or smell anything. Is this normal? How long should it take to be able to taste again? thanks in advance!

  45. I having the septoplasty done in two months and I am scared shitless to get it done. I am scared of the general anaesthetic that the ear, nose and throat specialist will give me due to severe sensitivity to medications. I have sleep apnea due to the crooked septum in my left nostril. I have always breathed through my mouth. My common-law is the one who told me to go to a doctor and I did. I was then referred to an ear, nose and throat specialist. So I am so full of anxiety and sleepless nights due to worrying about this darn surgery.

  46. Ohh, I have also septoplasty done in 2 weeks .two days for me was terrible bocz of nose packing,, but after remove package I breath Clearly by my left nose which was always blocked,,, doctor say me I got full benifits of septoplasty after 1 month,,, lets see after one month

  47. It is day 12 of post surgery for me. i do daily cleaning twice a day (Steam sinus bath, nasal rinse, nasacort and nasogel). My deviated septum is on my left and most work was done on that side. I have mucus with blood coming out in the last 3 days.
    What happened this morning frightened me. I woke With too much air going
    through left nostril. I did my usual sinus cleaning, ate breakfast And as about to get on my day. I suddenly began hyperventilating. Just too much air was going into my left nostril. I couldn’t control my breathing. Called the clinic, nurse told me to breathe into a bag until i was calm. Can anyone tell if they had a similar incident before? I was not stressed the night before or when i woke up.

  48. I have a deviated septum it doesn’t particularly affect my breathing although I have had quite bad sinus problems in the past and my sense of smell isn’t great, but my main problem is the appearance of it, it knocks my confidence and I seriously hate my appearance because of it, could I still get surgery although it doesn’t affect my breathing ect. ?

  49. I was diagnosed with a Deviated septum at the age of 9. My left Nostril was completely blocked due to deviated septum.I always had a breathing problem with sleep apnea.Like others I was breathing mostly from mouth.
    I just had the surgery done two weeks ago 18th Jan. doctors removed a small amount of bone and cartilage.( I can share the Pic)
    The Nose was packed for a day with Splint remained there for another week.
    So far My sleep apnea has gone. I can breath like any normal person.
    Apart from some Bloody mucus which is still coming No major issues at all.

  50. Had septoplasty surgery with turbinate reduction on Monday 21615. Day of surgery went into surgery at 10:30. 2 &12 hours with room prep and surgery. Slept 30 minutes and recovery 45 minutes. Got home and figured mouth breathing would be an issue and panic might set in. Not the case. It actually felt good to not breath through my 95% blocked left nostril. Mouth breathing was fine. Pain was minimal and pain meds took care of this. Biggest issue was no sleep. Changed nose guaze hourly and iced religiously (20 on, 20 off).
    Day 2 took packing out at 9:00 am. No problem at all. Squirting Saline in both sides often and Afrin twice today a day. Little to no pain and right side sort of clearing a bit. Nose dressing change 6-8 hours and probably will not need tomorrow. Still no sleep but will try soon. Still icing every hour or two. Will update tomorrow or next day. So far not so bad, way better than expected. Eating normally.

    • Day 2 Evening- For the record, I forgot to mention I am a 48 year old male and a smoker. Used saline spray and Afrin. Right nostril cleared about 85% and left about 10%. Stopped pain killers and finally slept 3 hours straight, an hour up icing, then 4 more hours of sleep.

      Day 3- Swelling and congestion more evident but still icing and saline spraying. About 50% open on right side and still 10% on left. For the most part the Bleeding stopped and gauze moustache not needed. Occasional bleed, but drying inside more evident and crusting beginning. Update again tomorrow.

      • Evening 3 slept 2 hours, ice the 5 more hours. Woke up Day 4 with a severe headache from congestion. Ice, saline and Afrin and headache cleared. Still some swelling and congestion. Saline often. Finally did a saline rinse and 70% clear both sides. Plastic splints still in until Day 8. Feeling much better and somewhat normal.

        • Day 5, 6 & 7 so far the same. Wake up with severe congestion and headache and then it clears after flush and can breathe somewhat. Splits will come out tomorrow on Day 8. Will update then.

  51. thanks for your thoughts. had a specialist tell me she’d fix mine. being difficult to breathe already gives me chills and bad thoughts having cotton and garbage up my nose post surgery. My fears were substantiated.

  52. I have my surgery in 5 days..I am 44 yr old woman. I can’t lie, I am pretty nervous. I am not worried about the surgery But the recovery, I am a wuss when it comes to pain, and very worried about the packing/ splints.
    This site has calmed my nerves quite a bit, can anyone tell me how long it took to get back to work? I do inventory control, so lots of moving around, lifting, etc. I took 2 weeks of leave but am hoping I won’t have to use it all.
    An actual vacation would be nice this year!

  53. Had surgery done in uk just 2 days ago, not given much info, so have found this very useful, told dissolvable packing, very little else, time off work, how long to rinse for, found it all lacking really. Unfortunatley work for myself so need to get back soon, hopefully with 4 days off might be alright, will just have to see and take it carefully.

  54. Thanks for the post. Your experience reflects what I am currently going through (1 week post-op), so it was comforting to read.

  55. Great post. Congrats David.
    In the surgery day, how long had you stay in the hospital? Do you think it is easy to drive in the same day of surgery?

    Thanks!

  56. day 3 since the surgery, and I feel so much better. Packing taken out yesterday, and it wasn’t to bad. I notice if I’m up too long the bleeding gets worse and I run down easy but other than that I’m doing great. Planning on going back to work next week. Even with all the gunk in my nose I can’t believe how much better I can breathe. If you are contemplating this surgery my advice is DO IT!! I a so grateful I did.

    • Nan, Glad to hear. 2 weeks later and I am doing well. Still some congestion and gunk, but way better than the agony of everyday life with a clogged nose. A follow up with Dr. tomorrow. I assume more vacuuming!!!

      • Day 15- two week follow up. Dr. vacuumed out a bunch of “stuff”. Still a lot of swelling but definitely getting better across the board. Next visit is two weeks out and I hope to be completely done at that time. If you are considering doing this, Do the surgery, I’m breathing like a champ today!!! I never imagined breathing could be so free and easy.

  57. I was assaulted in 2005 and suffered a broken nose which resulted in me having Rhinoplasty in 2007. Although it went very well my scar tissue has been causing my nose to swell and scab over, after countless trips to the doctors and being fobbed off I was finally sent to see the surgeon who ‘fixed’ my nose (nov 2014) who then told me I have a deviated septum and I have the surgery to fix it this Friday.. After spending most of my time sleeping and wondering where the days have gone I am quite looking forward to it… I found your post very informative and am taking notes, thankyou.

  58. Just had Septoplasty, Turbinate Reduction and a Vocal Cord Polyp removed yesterday. The surgery itself took longer than expected, I was told I bled a lot. The first 10 hours were uncomfortable, although not as painful as I thought it would be. My throat hurt the most. My nose felt like a bad sinus headache and mostly had an awful headache. I could breathe well for the first 4 to 5 hours after surgery then swelling started so I haven’t been able to breathe through my nose since. I was given antibiotics, pain medicine and antacid. I cleaned my nose with saline solution 6 hours after surgery and every 3 hours since. I had the gauze under my nose for the first 16 hours but the bleeding stopped so I don’t need it anymore. I’m not supposed to speak for 72 hours, because ofmy vocal cord surgery. I visited my doctor today and he says it looks great. I will see him in a week to have my splints removed. He said after that I should breathe a lot better.

  59. Hey, thanks a lot for your helpful post. I had absolutely same case as yours but i had this problem since quite long time ago(maybe since childhood). I went to the doctor and he told me to get a surgery. And I am going to get it in one and half months! Is it possible now that I can breathe from both nostrills? Please answer it!!

    • yes it should help u breathe thru both nostrils….mine did and i had mine since a child…make sure you have a good surgeon

  60. I was petrified and did wayyyyy too much “googling” and almost cancelled the surgery after seeing all the horror stories.

    I had 0% breathing on right side and about 60% on left prior to surgery. I had my septoplasty and turbinate reduction last Monday. When I woke up from surgery, I could breathe already at almost 100%, it was amazing! I made sure to use lots of saline ( every hour) washes and saline gel, humidifier and never got clogged up or congested….that is the key! I bled for 24 hours but then it stopped. Very little pain. Splints out at 3:00 today. Well worth it! I can breathe!

  61. Had septoplasty 6 days ago. I’ve had no major pain, just some discomfort (except when I’ve accidentally banged my nose at night).
    I haven’t had much sleep at all, unfortunately, so I’m feeling exhausted, and coupled with severe congestion that just started yesterday (cant breathe through my nose at all), I’m getting a little rundown. Dr said this is normal, just use the saline spray as needed, though it really doesn’t help with the clogging.
    Stents/packing come out the day after tomorrow, so I’m looking forward to getting back to breathing. I could breathe pretty well the first couple days following surgery, so I’m sure once the stents/packing are removed and swelling subsides, I’ll be happy with the results.
    If you’re nervous about the procedure, don’t be. I heard horror stories from my friends that had it done. But I gotta say it really hasn’t been that bad.

  62. Hi David and other readers,

    I am going for surgery next week Tuesday. I will be going for a deviated septum, tonsillectomy and removal of adenoids. I will admit I am quite nervous as I really want to be healthy now after being on at least 8 antibiotics in the last year with chronic throat infection, sleep apnea, low energy levels as well as dry mouth.

    I am only concerned as some people on here who have had the surgery are complaining that there symptoms have not improved and some are having blood flow pressure problems etc.

    I will post an update after the surgery. I expect it will be sore. I am still recovering from a operation from last year which involved going for a Bi-lateral hernia operation, varicose veins removal from the hernia and scrotum, a scrotum reduction and a chordee repair from last October.

  63. 8 days past surgery, I can tell you that it wasn’t really to much fun, and hoping that it works, first 6 days were bleeding, pain, and not breathing through nose…didn’t like the plugged nose at all….after the stints were taken out, got better…my question is, I have scabs forming, or maybe dried blood inside my nose, I want it out, but am afraid to try and cause the stiches to come out…does anyone have any experience with this, and what helped you?

    • Just flush with Saline. The scabbing will come out on its own. It is a process, but week two gets better. I am 4 weeks post op and have 90% breathing. Still Saline Flush 3 times a day. Still very minor swelling, but all in all, it gets way better once the doctor starts vacuuming out some of the remnants. Four weeks later and some big nasty stuff still came out. Hang in there. It gets way better.

  64. -yesterday (monday) i had septo only. 1 hour surgery. 1 hour recovery.
    -got nausea patch and nausea meds so fine there.
    -hate narcotics so been taking extra strength tylenol every 5-6 hours and have very little pain. inside nose feels the equivalent of a scraped knee. bad sinus headache is the worst in the pain department, but not debilitating.
    -didn’t need mustache bandage after about 10 hours, but do dab at drips every so often.
    -using saline spray every 2 hours to keep crusting at minimum and, per doc orders, afrin spray very 4 hours to help with bleeding.
    -can breath fine through nose so far, waiting to see if more swelling/congestion sets in.
    -slept between 10 minutes and 2 hours at a time last night which is better than i expected (and since i typically wake up every hour or two i was kind of use to it)
    -wish i could blow my nose.
    -splints out on friday (5 days post)
    -i am a 53 y/o female competitive athlete. i went into this in super high health so maybe that is why i am not having much difficulty.

  65. 48 hours post-op.

    here is the low-lights from yesterday:
    -felt like i had a horrible head cold even though i could breath through my nose.
    -swelling has started. my petite nose has morphed into a bulbous one
    -the palate behind my front teeth felt like i had eaten something too hot. very tender
    -constant runny nose that i cant blow. oh, and the watery eyes.
    -super tired

    highlights:
    -still no narcs. only tylenol.
    -slept about the same as first night.
    -my husband wants to wait on me hand and foot.

    Felt up to running a few errands. was out of the house a couple hours. in hindsight that may have been to ambitious since i felt so exhausted later in the day.

    i’ll post tomorrow how today (day 3 post op) goes.

    • You had it on the same day as me apparently. You might want to try chocolate pudding! It tastes good and is really quite easy to swallow. That and mac ‘n’ cheese. I actually fell asleep into my macaroni yesterday…

  66. I’m scheduled to have the operation in 2 weeks, and the nurse said saline at least 4 times a day, 7 or 8 times is better. I asked her, and you can’t really overdo saline.

  67. Day 3:
    the worst yet. it was like the most wicked head cold in history. i even thought perhaps i had a head cold on top of it all. the constant dropping was like a faucet. i would put little wadded up pieces of tissue up my nostril. i wound up sleeping a good part of the day and that was the highlight. food had no appeal/taste. went to bed at 8.

    day 4:
    slept much better. woke up feeling human. had high energy all day, but still took a morning and afternoon nap as preemptive strike to fatigue. when the headaches came, they were very slight. irrigating with saline every 4 hours followed by afrin. bleeding had stopped, but started up again on right side. just a little, needing to dab at it every so often. felt so good that i wasn’t watching the clock for the time to take my tylenol. took it a half hour late.

    day 5
    slept 5 hours straight!!, which i usually never do (hot flashes/bathroom trips). took my tylenol and tossed and turned for an hour waiting for my nose to open up (i cannot sleep breathing through my mouth). another 2 hours and up for the day now. no more bleeding/dripping this morning. feeling great because TODAY I GET THESE EFFING SPLINTS OUT!! 9am cant come soon enough! i really feel like yesterday i turned the corner on my healing and today can only be better. will report tomorrow how the whole splint thing goes.

  68. just had splints out. OMG! OMG! OMG!..i had no idea! they were huge! like the size of my pinky finger but completely flat. it was over so fast it doesn’t even warrant any mention of how uncomfortable it is. between the decongestant the squirt in there, the splints being removed and the suction of any gunk i feel like 98% normal. he said there may be a little bleeding today from the removal, but so far (its been an hour) its very very little. he said i can blow very gently. i can exercise as much and as intense as i wish. the swelling should be gone in a few days. my sense of smell/taste is mostly back and should be 100% after another couple days. i wont see him again for 6 weeks.

    SUMMARY:
    so other than the 3rd day, this has been way easier than what most people have reported. again..i did this with no pain meds. the superbeast head cold thing was the worst of it. i kept telling myself it was a cold and it made it a bit easier. the fact that i had septo only surely makes a difference. if the turbinates had been done i’m sure that my story would have been different.

  69. btw, y’all, the time stamp on these posts are completely wack. its 1045 am as i hit comment.

  70. Well to add my experience. I went in on Monday 23rd March (UK) for FESS sinoplasty turbenite reduction.

    Op itself was OK. I was in theater for about two hours. I came around about an hour later and had to sit up in recovery for an hour or so.

    I had the moustache type bandage to catch the bleeding of which there was quite a lot.

    After 6 more hours I was allowed home. Bleeding was pretty bad in the car on way back but soon stopped and went back to a constant drip. Pain wise there was nothing really. Discomfort with my teeth.

    First night was hell. Couldn’t sleep and blood all the time from the nose. Had to keep changing the moustache thing. At some point I fell asleep because when I woke up my jaw was covered in dried blood. During the night some of the disolvable packing dropped into my mouth which was quite horrible.

    Day 2 felt extremely tired and low energy. Again no real pain but took paracetemol (same as tylanol in the us) just in case. Bleeding didn’t really stop much. Constant drip from nose and totally blocked both nostrils. Breathing through mouth constantly.

    Thursday was a little better. Didn’t need the moustache bandage,but still dripping most of the time. Still totally blocked so having to breathe through mouth still. There was a brief periods where I could sort of get air through one nostril but it didn’t last long.

    Friday I actually felt better. Still blocked but now it feels a little less pressure. It also bubbles in my nose if I try a very gentle blow. Did get mild headaches and teeth pain again. Today first day I felt up to doing anything at all really.

    Its now Saturday morning and last nights sleep was better but still pretty bad due to not able to breath at all through nose. Itsnfeeling a bit sore this morning and I feel like I really want to blow it. Dropping seems to be at a minimum now. My bloody tissues from overnight are considerable less bloodied than previous nights.

    Its very tiring feeling like this. In short so far my recovery hasn’t really been painful, but very uncomfortable.

    By the way I didn’t have splints. As far as I’m aware it was just the small bit of dissolvable packing which mostly seemed to come out that first night.

  71. I had an operation March 9th, for sinus pain, and whilst under they straightened my septum. I had the bleeding for two days etc., but not much pain. However I went back to work after a week and am still getting the sinus headaches I used to get daily, as well as having a blocked right nostril. Is this normal, I am not due to go back to see my specialist until 13th April but nothing seems to have improved, if anything it is worse!

  72. it’s been 8days since I had my surgery. The doctor removed the splints two days ago. I sitill can’t breathe normally. I felt no pain at all, but the breathing is still uncomfortable. Just wondering when I’ll be able to breathe normally.

    • Hang in there, a few more days should see an improvement. I can get air through now. Seemed to improve around day 10 for me. Im getting more headaches now though but this is to be expected I think.

  73. I just had the procedure yesterday and it is bar none the worst pain I have ever ecperienced. Ever. Child birth was about as painful. Seriously. I’ve been tearful constantly the last 12 hours and I had had to double up in my meds.

    My head hurts like never before, the roof of my mouth is in searing agony, eyes, teeth all feel like a severe toothache, and my eyes are watering out of control from the pain. I can’t talk nor chew. I’m filling up gauze mustache every three hours.

    I know it’s worth it because I’ve had chronic headache and breathing issues for years but I will never forget this experience. I am humbled,

    I appreciate this article. Out of desperation I searched the web for trucks or hints. Ordering a NetiPot today.

    My advice it to stay the night at the hospital if you can. I was released one hour after surgery and I am about to go to the ER because the pain meds (2 7.5/325 Norco every 4hrs) are doing nothing.

    Also, have someone there to take care of you, your children and pets. I did do this and thank God because I could never have taken care of my child.

    Don’t wait in the meds. Keep it in the system. Trust me.

    Good luck!

    • Your experience is very similar to mine, I had the toothache constant bleeding and sore mouth for about two days after. However the pain wasnt too bad for me, just constant. The eyes running stopped after a day.

      Im shocked they let you go after an hour! I had to sit in an observation room for 6 hours before they let me go.

      Also I second needing someone to look after you. I couldn’t really do anything that first week. My hand was hardly ever away from my nose with a tissue catching the blood.

      It gets better though. Now its just headaches for me. No bleeding and I feel human again!

  74. I had this surgery 2 weeks ago and it was very painful. My nose ached for about a week. It was a much more difficult recovery than I had expected. BUT I already know it’s going to be worth it. Still congested but breathing better already!

  75. I had surgery 2 days ago consisting of septoplasty,shaving of turbinates, polyp removal and cleaning of sinuses. Nose is tender and sore to touch, nothing to write home about. Taking mild painkillers as required with one that makes you drowsy at night as it is hard sleeping whilst breathing through the mouth. Surgeon did a fantastic job with no external markings. I cleanse nose 3 times a day with saline and already getting air through both passages. Can’t wait to get splints out as already I feel this operation was well worth it.
    I was listening to people say its too painful, it won’t make any difference but after getting to the stage of waking many times throughout the night breathing through the mouth just had to go ahead with it and boy glad I did. Hope this helps anyone hesitant to make up there mind!!

  76. I didn’t have any of the problems David mentioned. I took no time off, no headaches etc. Bleeding was the only issue. Problems depend on the individual.

  77. I’m 2 weeks post-op (NHS – UK). This was my second septoplasty as the first one 5 years ago did not work. The operation itself was fine; I got out on the same day and I had fairly minimal bleeding when I woke up. In the NHS they do not use splints or packing. Which I think is a blessing!
    The first few days out are the worst as things begin to swell up and clog the passages. Saline sprays are your friend!! Be prepared, I was going through a bottle a day!
    Due to the lack of success with my previous surgery I’m really nervous this one hasn’t worked. I think my breathing is a little better but it’s still not good enough to only breathe through my nose. Is it too early to tell??? I read in some discussions people can breathe freely on day 3! I’m trying to be positive as I’m desperate to get rid of my mouth breathing.

  78. Hi! I am about 14 hours out of septoplasty and turbinate surgery and in a great deal of pain. Not necessarily in my nose but in my throat. It hurts to bad to sleep. I just turned on my humidifier to try and assist with relieving some of the pain in my throat. Does anyone know if this is a good or bad idea? So far it feels a little better, but still very painfull. Also, does anyin know if throat spray or losengers are allowed. My doctor acted as if I would not need them, but I can tell you this hurts. I have read all of the post and I thank David for taking the time out to share his experience. Speedy recovers are wished to all.

  79. Thank you so much for documenting your experience. I have been on the grid researching any article/comments/posts regarding this surgery. I am scheduled to have mine in the morning and I am suffering from anxiety. I have heard horror stories about “sinus surgeries.” Your post did make me feel somewhat less apprehensive.
    Thanks Again,
    Wanda

  80. I am at 6 days after sinus surgery – septoplasty, turbinate reduction, polyp removal and some other things. Recovery has been painful at times but mostly controlled by pain meds. I can now partially breath through my nose but the bottom of my nose is extremely sore to touch. I don’t get my splints out until day 12 which seems a lot later than everyone else. I am worried about how this will go and if it will be painful. What is bothering me the most now is my loss of taste and smell. I have had intermittent taste loss for the last few years and am really hoping this surgery helps fix that but now just on edge about how long it will take to come back after surgery. I am hoping it is just due to swelling and splints blocking things. Was taste loss an issue for anyone else and how long did it take to return?

    • I had my ethmoid sinuses removed polyps out and a deviated septum fixed I still feel horrible with my allergies very stuffy especially since everything is blooming I never regained my sense of smell or taste and don’t think I will Dee said I might not I can breathe better out of my nose sometimes so I don’t really know if it was worth it for me or not. Getting allergy shots now every week but it takes 6 months to even tell if they are working.

  81. In the UK, do they provide saline or any other sprays? Glad to hear no splints. Going in the afternoon of June 4th. My wife should be going somewhere that evening but she’ll be leaving instead around 5am the next day. I should be able to manage, I’m sure our dogs will help! My real concern is what I might need to buy in before the operation (although a friend can do some shopping if necessary). Should I get sprays? That pot people talk about?
    AND – I use a nasal CPAP mask, should I ask for a full face one to use while I’m recovering?
    Thanks
    Doug

    • Buy saline sprays. You can get them from Boots but I also got mine prescribed. Ask for some before you leave the hospital.
      I think the NHS only use splits when there is a lot of bleeding. My doctor did mention it but said he usually didn’t use them.
      Good luck! It’ll be worth it.

  82. had this done 6 days ago, ggetting my splints out tomorrow. I am just concerned because I still have bleeding from the nose, been wearing the moustache dressing with gauze all week and even though bleeding has been decreasing all week I’m concerned about the amount of blood still present, especially after sleeping…Wondering if bleeding after a week is common or not…guess it doesn’t matter too much as I’m seeing my doctor tomorrow but I’m just concerned I’ll still be bleeding a lot after the splints come out and I’m not looking forward to that….But everyone I’ve talked to at the doctors says after the splints are out it’s like a whole new nose and that is worth it…so looking forward to tomorrow…

  83. Just had septum, terbanites reduction and sinus surgery today at 9 am. It’s now 11 pm and I feel great. No pain, haven’t taken any pain meds since 11 am. Feeling very stuffy with some bloody mucus discharge.. I have a gauss pad under my nose with tape. But so far so good. Watching family guy and eating cheese puffs. I may be whistling a different tune tomorrow but for now, processing great. I am so pumped to see what the next week will bring.

  84. Hi guys, I live in the UK, just had Septoplasty and Turbinoplasty surgery 2 days ago.
    On the day of the surgery, I felt fine immediately after I woke up, however, my teeth hurt due to the oxygen mask they put on me and my throat was sore.. after about 30 mins, my nose started bleeding non stop, had to have the mustache thing changed about 4 times until they said I had to leave it on to allow the bleeding to clot. That was the worst day, because my whole body was hot and the bleeding just continued, I had an ice pack on my nose and had to chew ice cubes to reduce the swelling of my top lip. I puked a whole load after that due to the effects of the anesthetics, however, throughout all that I didn’t actually experience nose pain, unless someone pressed my nose. The doc told me he put dissolvable stitches in my nose and some foam dressing? I’m not sure what, but I’ve been told they will start melting and I will notice them on my tissue.
    The next day, I was okay, the bleeding stopped, but my nose was still congested and blocked. Still had the moustache thing stuck to my nose.

    Today, I looked at my nose in the mirror for the first time after the surgery when I removed the moustache thing myself. I was shocked at the size of my nose.. I didn’t recognise myself, my nose has quadrupled in size 🙁 I pray it goes back to normal. My nose has been running (mucus) and bits of blood.
    I just hope recovery does not take long, and the swelling of my nose reduces massively, as soon as possible!
    Please can someone tell me if the septoplasty surgery changed the shape of their nose and if so then how??? I’m so worried

  85. How in the world do people avoid sneezing? Or if I can’t breathe in through my nose will I be less likely to sneeze?
    Just had a sneezing fit this morning. I have no idea why. Septoplasty to take place in 13 days!
    Doug

    • Hi,
      You have to sneeze through your mouth, it’s not as hard as it sounds, especially if you’re used to having blocked noses.
      After septoplasty surgery, your nose will most likely be congested and blocked, so when you do sneeze, remember to keep your mouth open.

  86. Hello Wanted to share my experience I have been suffering all my life with breathing, mostly a mouth breather. I got worse after I had my baby 9 months ago as I developed asthma. After years of going to ENts I finally decided and finally found someone to do surgery. I just had my surgery, septoplasty and turbunetes done on Friday May 22. I was put under general anesthesia so didn’t feel a thing. Splints were inserted in my nose and I must say they are uncomfortable, still feel stuffy but looking forward to this Friday for splint removal. Pain was bearable for me after anesthesia wears off I felt pain but medication knocked me out. I was out of work for 3 days. Iam on day 5 , no pain just stuffy but that’s because of the splints, no bleeding just dripping from the left nostril. That nostril was the bad one. I didn’t have black eyes or anything but the hospital did put ice right after the surgery and a mustache bandage under my nose. Looking forward to breathing normally. Hope this helps take care and good luck

  87. One of the worse experiences I have ever dealt with in my life!!!! I had a bone spur removed,deviated septum, polyps removed and like four other things. Just remember when I got home I couldn’t pee for a whole day do to the anesthesia so if this occurs I recommend getting in the shower and letting hot water hit your feet and private parts. It sucked laying around with packing in your nose with your nose and eyes gooing with fluid. THE WORSE PART WAS PACKING REMOVAL!!!! For me I don’t know why but i had double packing in each nostril and oh my god I’m a 32 year old man and I was crying and cussing. My body went into a cold swet almost puked and crapped myself. The packing created like a suction in my nose so it was hard to rip out. Just thinking about it right now a day later makes me feel sick!!! Not trying to scare anyone but videos I watched was not like my situation getting the packing removed. I’m doing better now just rest rest rest and it’s finally great be able to eat and swallow normally. Have fun my friends and keep your head up!!! Literally

  88. I’m having surgery in the morning. Doctor said it will take 2 hours there’s a few other things he has to fix along with the deviated septum. I’m a little nervous but I have had 13 sinus infections in the last 12 months. I really hope this helps.

  89. I use a CPAP nasal mask. A few months ago I started to have strange noises which seem to involve the mask forcing air through my nose, as they happen whether I’m breathing out or in. A nasal examination showed me to have a grossly deviated septum. Five days ago I had a septoplasty and outward fracture of the turbinates in an NHS hospital.
    I woke from the operation feeling completely refreshed, as though I’d had a great night’s sleep. As I’m 72 I hadn’t expected that.
    No packing, no splints, and to my great surprise, no pain. Not even when not taking any painkillers after I got home. And virtually no sign of bruising, but a lot of clotted blood in my nose and on my upper lip.
    Stayed in the day case unit overnight due to having sleep apnoea – not a bad idea anyway as there’ someone there to look after any bleeding and you get to see the consultant the next day. And nice food (well, I like oatmeal bread sandwiches with tuna, mayonaisse and cucumber, and I had one at 5pm and then from a trolley at 9:30 pm.
    Once home I started to regularly use a saline douche – I highly recommend this, although I did use a bottle and hope I didn’t press too hard on my nose. For the first 2 nights I was automatically taking my mask off by unfastening just one fastener and pulling it off, which probably put pressure on my nose. Wish I had thought about that too.
    Two nights ago there was still so much blood soaked mucus I had to use a full face mask I’d requested, but last night I was ok again on the nasal mask.
    I’ve also run a light fever, maybe the walks I’ve been taking wore me out – the Royal College of Surgeons advises 2 of about 1/2 hour but I’d been taking one longer one.
    Although I won’t know for maybe 3 months if it’s fixed my CPAP problem, the operation was much easier than I had expected. Of course it was limited to straightening my septum and fracturing my turbinates.

  90. I wanna do d surgert simply bcz of cosmetic importance…..as i dnt hv any otr symptoms mentioned above……will d surgery chang d shape of deviated septum….?

  91. i am 1 one week post operated and this site helped me a lot.

    my 2 cents:

    if your nose dont stop to put mucus outside, its better to stick some paper inside, changing it from time to time, when it gets soaked.

    this way, you dont need to be wiping your nose tip all the time, what wil necessarely hurt it and make things worse.

    your respiratory system will be prejudicated.
    do not get yourself near people outside your house.
    you may get a flu and you DONT want to get coughing, this will prejudicate the tissues healing.

    ask your doctor for a good mouth and trouth reliefing spray , like ones made of propolis and honey.
    your throath will get swell because of mouth breathing and this will let you sleep better avoiding coughs.

    try to not abuse of your familys patience, complaining all the time.
    you will suffer for some days and you will need their care and patience to help you trough this.

    atb

  92. Hi everyone, just had septoplasty surgery Tuesday. I had an enlarged “bubble” inside my left nostril, I think that was restricting my breathing through that nostril. When looking up my nose I still see that bubble. Was wondering does this shrink over time once the swelling goes down?

    The surgery and recovery have been very painless, I just hope I’ll see improvements soon.

    • Just had this surgery yesterday and am waiting for the pain to start, so far not much other than headache. Dr. Posey even removed a part of a sinus cavity and have minimal pain. They dont do the cotton packing anymore just the splints (at least in MN). I am looking forwad to getting splints out and getting better sleep. My advice is go for it!

      • I get my splints removed tomorrow, day 7 hoping the congestion goes away, feels like when i had my sunus infection with post nasal drip, thats why I got this surgery to begin with. Looking forward to no more sinus infections and better sleep.

  93. It has been 2 months since operation still I feel uncomfortable to breathe n headache there are only few days when I got relief. Please tell me what to do now. Everytime my nose get dried n I feel stuffy in nose n throat N also it creates gastric problem

  94. Let me start by saying reading about your experience helped push me over the edge to get mine fixed. I had my surgery 7/20 it was my first surgery ever went in nervous thinking about backing out but they reassured me it was ok and I was safe they gave me something through my iv to relax me wheeled me in to the surgery room put some gas on my face and told me to breath last thing I remember was one of the anesthesiologist say in a Russian accent “goodnight David” and I woke up in recovery done!,…easy!!,.nothing to worry about,..first day home was challenging had some blood dripping back of my throat but it stopped within an a couple hours after surgery so not a big deal,..sleep sucks for the first 3nights after that no problem the pain meds are amazing for this helps you keep your sanity although day 5 they made me feel too good went mini golfing with my family then I ended up swollen again,..my surgery was a nasoseptum reconstruction.it looked like someone lit a firecracker in my nose it was in rough shape I got it broken a few times I have been able to breathe since day of surgery so no clogged nostrils but I do feel sinus pressure I’m on my eighth day as I’m writing this and the cast and splints in my nose aggravate me sometimes but not that bad I get them out tomorrow also I had a sneezing attack last night which I was scared I’d blow my nose apart but I just kept my mouth open when I sneezed did it about 7-8 times and I am ok,…I felt I owed it to everyone to share my experience on this with everyone because it was reading your stories that helped me also I’ve smoked for about 20 years and I haven’t had a cigarette this whole time so I’m looking to stay quit I thank god for that one because I’ve prayed for it,..sorry for the horrible grammar it’s not my strong suit

  96. Had the surgery 7/30 everything went well. Was discharged same day. I was home 10 minutes and the bleeding started. It was pouring out of my nose and down my throat. I couldn’t breathe I was choking. I was rushed to hospital and went to the trauma unit. It was awful. 72 hours later my breathing is so blocked. I am so sorry I got this surgery. Wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.

  97. Hi-
    Did any of you have a sleep study done prior to surgery or did you just go straight to an ENT? I was told years ago that I have a deviated septum and this last year I can’t sleep more than a couple of hours without waking up short of breath. Even when I’m awake I have a hard time breathing! Thank you for the support!

    • I just went straight to an ENT. It sounds like your deviated septum is quite severe, so I’d suggest that you do the same. I’d be very surprised if it didn’t offer a noticeable impact. 🙂

  98. hello david turnbull

    i had the same prroblem and fixed by surgery on August 4th ,2015. i want to know the problems caused by deviated nasal septum. will this problem effect our heart and leads to heart palpitation while running or @ any physical activities as you mentioned. first i thought i had heart problem. so i went to doctor and checked blood test , urine teat , chest x ray , and ECG. but doctor found nothing in these tests. he just checke my BP Only and it is above 140/90. so he prescribed tablet for palpitations after taking this tablet (proponolol) BP Level went to normal 120/80. doctor said he have found no problem in my boby especially in heart and lungs. oneday i explained about my oneside blocked nose to doctor. doctor needs CT Scan of nose ( PNS ) found deviated septum . so i straightly went to ENT doctor. ENT doctor asked me to undergo a surgery for deviated septum. but when i explained my BP problem to ENT doctor he said BP will never come by deviated septum. but general medicine doctor believed And he said once i finished my surgery successfully BP Will get down gradually. i am sorry i should tell about my age first . i am 23 years old and i had this problem for 9 years.

    dear david turnbull
    have you experienced the above problems which i mentioned ( cant do physical activities like running, playing cricket or football ). i forgot to tell you i had snoring problem also

    thank you

  99. Lucky you – I have no septum to deviate – though it was deviated before it was torn out during endoscopic surgery to remove a pituitary tumor – a very long and painful story. Now breathing creates so much turbulence in my nasal cavity and remaining sinuses, that I’m constantly producing tons of mucus. Bon Appetite.

    Love your Meteor books! Not a fan of the ‘Discover Meteor` approach. I am curious about a couple of things and would love to ask a couple questions. Are you emailable or otherwise contactable? Thanks regardless.

  100. Okay, had my operation for my deviated septum on my left side (almost completely blocked), and the operation itself went smoothly. The recovery room was horrible as the Nazi ladies in there wouldn’t allow you to have any water even after being coherent. Came home and there was an intense feeling of pressure as the packing inside the nose was doubled, and made it very uncomfortable. Mouth breathing was difficult and lead to sore throat and dry mouth – palate was tender as well. Eating proved to be an adventure and I basically lived off yogurt, grapes, Ginger-Ale and soup. Highly recommend keeping those things stocked. 48 hours post op felt like intense sinus infection and finally removed packing this morning, and was instantly relieved. It hurt, but the pain is worth that pressure being relieved…. Using polysporin on q tips to keep the inside of both nostrils lubricated, have flushed with the Neti Pot and use a generic nasal mist as well… Lots of swelling so far and steady drainage. Not a lot of blood in the discharge but there is some. Feeling very good so far but would like this swelling to decrease. Any good tips or suggestions?

    Btw thank you for the website and first hand accounts from everyone. I find my experience has been certainly difficult by times but overall pretty tolerable and will be well worth it, if I’m able to breathe from my left side again. Thanks!

  101. Can someone please help me decide if this is possible? I am having surgery on 23rd September for deviated spetum. There is a very special show – David gilmour from pink floyd on teh 24th. I have waited all my life to see him and this may be the last time ever. Will I be ok? It’s just a sitting down show etc.

    • That would probably be very difficult. Your nose will likely be bleeding and swollen, and you’ll want nothing more than to just lie back and go to sleep. But at the same time, everyone responds differently to surgery. Maybe you’ll be lucky.

  102. Just had an Adenoidectomy and Septoplasty surgery done last Thursday and just found this site today and I would really have to recommend this surgery to anyone who seriously needs it. Ten years ago I broke the front of my nose and after years of various allergy medications, nasal sprays, cool mist vaporizers, and having to sleep on my side in order to breathe laying down I can already tell this is going to be well worth it. The surgery was done under general and aside from the first 48 hours I’ve had zero major issues. The first day I bled from about the time I woke at like 2 until around midnight, but that quickly went away. My ENT doctor doesn’t believe in packing and just used the stints to hold and help heal, and I cannot wait until tomorrow when they finally come out to see the results. Saline, nasal gel, vaporizer, and pain medication have made the entire procedure reqlitively painless. I’m still spitting out bloody mucus every time I use the spray bit even that has slowly gone away. The biggest issue for me has been sleeping in a recliner but between the pain pills helping to fall asleep and a week off, it’s allowed me to pass out basically at will. Breathing is still a bit congested but after 10 years with less than 4mm of room in one nostril anyway, it’s not much different. After tomorrow when the stints are out I’ll update but so far I can already tell this is going to be well worth it.

  103. I had my septum taken care of about 10 years ago. I went without a sinus infection for 9 of those years. I had a severe sinus infection and was told that my septum was deviated. Has anyone ever had this happen? I was told that I was told that I needed surgery again. I’m getting a second opinion but wanted to know if anyone has had this reoccur.
    Thanks in advance

  104. Thanks so much for this post, David! Having septoplasty, ballooon sinuplasty & some turbinates removed tomorrow, & feel much better about it now. Soounds scary, but after years of interrupted sleep & repeated sinus infections it seems like a wise decision.

  105. I thought i was alone in this but i’m glad i found this blog.

    I’m 36 post surgery for septoplasty and turbinate surgery. I had a massive panic attack when i woke up with packings across my face due to claustrophobia. I’m glad they allowed me to remove it.

    I’m now home (1 night spent at the hospital) and the splints are uncomfortable. Almost impossible to breathe through my nostrils and will need to adjust breathing through my mouth in bed.

    I’m very glad to read so many positive comments on everybodys progress that i’m really gonna keep my chin up and convince myself it will be all worth it. I will have my stints removed in 6 days. I really can’t wait!

    Eugene from Malaysia

  106. Thanks David for setting up this thread. Thanks also to the participants sharing their experiences. I had breathing difficulties, no sense of smell, and a post nasal drip for many years. At age 40 I went for an exam, and was recommended to go for surgery, simply widening the air passages in my nostrils by removing some cartilage. The op itself seemed to go OK, and immediately afterwards, I had the very first whiff of a sense of smell.

    However my recovery suddenly went downhill, and l became very ill. I was rushed to intensive care with scepticemia (bacteria in the blood), due to bad working practices at the hospital where l was treated. That was much worse than any pain from the op! However when l recovered, my breathing was easier, although the sense of smell never really returned.

    More recently the post nasal drip has returned, (I have a “frog in my throat” constantly), and a rattle in my chest, which is disturbing when trying to get to sleep. I went for another exam. They found l have a deviated septum, and have severe crusting in my blocked nostril. I can’t figure out if the septum has changed shape recently, or was always like that, and just never picked up during the first exam and subsequent op, although that is hard to believe. If those clowns were incompetent enough to give me scepticemia, then they might have overlooked the deviation in my septum.

    I have been once again recommended for surgery to correct this, although given a few months to think about it. These comments have all been very helpful, and as things stand, I think l will go for it. I will keep you posted. Thanks again.

  107. Hi David,

    It’s more than a year for your surgery. How are things now in terms of breathing, sleep and attitude towards life?

    Mine will be in next 15-30 days.

    Thanks,
    Avadhut

  108. Hi thanks for the info. I’m in the uk and had my surgery yesterday. Wasn’t prepared for the amount of bleeding which caused me to stay overnight. Still bleeding now but not as much. The headaches are hell but reading your post I know it won’t last forever. Thanks again.

  109. I’m a healthy 44 year old, and I just had septoplasty and turbinate reduction this morning. I was an athlete in high school and college and I got nailed in the face with softballs and elbows, but never realized how much damage it did until now. I will say that I had myself worked up pretty bad before the surgery, anticipating the worst. But, so far, so good. The pain was WAY less than I’d imagined. I did have a slight headache soon after, but the nausea was the worst for me. I guess I had post-nasal dripping blood that ran into my stomach, making me nauseous and vomit. That lasted for about two hours, and then I was fine. I have a nausea patch on, which is working great. Tylenol only so far for pain, and the bleeding slowed and finally stopped when I got home a few hours later. I’m eating pudding, just pudding. No numb spots on my nose either; just a little swollen, and a slight sore throat.

    • Suzanne W. I was so glad to see your comment! I am a healthy 46 y/o scheduled to have this surgery on 1/12/16. I am totally worked up about it, but your account was very helpful. One thing I’m terrified of is vomiting after the procedure (I lean toward terror with vomiting, just generally speaking).

      I have never had a problem with anesthesia, but the dripping blood–that’s what I have read is the kicker with this surgery. I asked my doctor about it at my last visit and he said he uses gauze in the back of the throat during the surgery to take care of blood going back into the stomach, and that the blood is very minimal (he stitches the septum and uses no packing–did you have packing?).

      He also said that they use the patch during surgery, as well as two different anti-nausea meds, plus a bolster of anti-nausea meds before leaving. They don’t really want their nasal surgery patients vomiting! Do you think this has a good chance of taking care of the problem if I have the blood-in-stomach? Did you get anti-nausea meds before vomiting or only after to control the nausea? Thank you! How are you feeling several days post-surgery? Ellen B.

  110. I’m a 36 yr old. My 1st surgery about 5 yrs ago was to fix my post nasal drip and deviated septum & also remove my tonsils. The best thing that came of that surgery was the tonsillectomy, after spending many of younger years being sick (tonsillitis, glandular fever… etc). Unfortunately, not long after this first surgery neither the post nasal drip nor the deviated septum was fixed & I ended up with further blockage of mucus due to the scar tissue adhesions from the surgery. So here I am again exactly 1 week after my 2nd sinus surgery hoping that all is going to be ok this time. My main concern for the past 8 yrs has been my post nasal drip, so this surgery involved the removal of adhesions (formed after last surgery), another FESS to remove the mucus, another Septoplasty, Rhinoplasty, & the removal of polyps (which had formed since the last surgery).
    Really hoping the results are better this time around! Now, after about 5 days of mouth breathing with ulcers in my throat I am very pleased to say that I can breathe through my nose better than I ever have. I do need tips though (?) on how to reduce post nasal drip, as I am experiencing the same post nasal drip feeling that I had before (& have previously tried all the nasal sprays & irrigation under the sun). I am really hoping that with further recovery time & continued irrigation it will go away. Regardless of my not-so successful sinus surgery, for anyone who is unsure about having surgery, I would say… Yes it is a challenge… from the anxiety of being wheeled in to the theatre, to feeling a lot of discomfort while recovering… but I do think it’s worth it. It’s better to do something than nothing.

  111. I was diagnosed with a deviated septum last month after I saw an ENT doctor for possible sleep apnea. I have surgery to fix it on November 30. I’m hoping this will fix the extreme fatigue I’ve been feeling over the last 5 or so years and help my breathing. I’ll add to this post after it’s done.

    BTW, I’m 67 years old so if I can do it anyone can!

  112. How do you feel a year later, David? Would you still recommend it? I’m 40 and over the past 10 years my deviated septum has worsened causing snoring and an almost 70% blockage in one nostril. After reading all the horror stories about recovery I’m worried and just want to know if (in the long run) it all pans out as worthwhile.

    • I’m still happy I had the surgery. I think my nostril did close back up a little but, previously, I couldn’t breath out of that nostril at all, while now there’s still a clear flow of air. 🙂

  113. It’s been a week since my surgery. Other than a headache and some drainage, there have been no issues for this first week of recovery.

    I’m getting my splints taken out today. There should be an even bigger increase in the amount of air I’m able to take in through my nose once they’re removed. More to follow…

  114. I cant sleep I had my surgery 2days ago and im miserable so stuffy and nose hurts.Doc says it harder surgery than he thought.Not hungary,but it sounds like its normal.I do not ever want to do this surgery again.Hopefully will get better.

  115. I found your article very thorough and insightful. Im really interested in the fatigue side of things, like your fatigue levels before and after the operation?

    I have always been a snorer, to the point now my wife and I sleep in different rooms (still in love though) and my fatigue levels have always been a battle most of my life

    I’ve had a couple of sleep studies during my life but they couldn’t definitely say I had sleep apnea, just my breathing slowed on occasions. I’m pretty sure the surgery will have a positive impact on my snoring but I’m really interested in the percentage improvement in your fatigue levels?

    The other slightly concerning thing is with all the commentary there isn’t a heap of ‘definitely get this done, it has changed my life’ kind of comments

  116. I had septoplasty 3 days ago. Worst experience ever. I have a high tolerance for pain and the recovery is worst than delivering a baby. I wish I had been warned. Not only can I not breathe out of my nose, the drainage in my throat is so bad it is choking. Pain meds don’t even touch the throbbing in my face nor the excruciating headache. I was suffering from sinus infections and rather deal with those than do this surgery. Can’t get the stints out soon enough and move on and deal with everything by myself.

  117. I have been congested for years. Last summer I had my annual exam and the blood tests results came back showing my red blood cells to be very elevated. I was referred to a hematologist to have to be tested for Polytcythamia Vera which is a serious bone marrow disease that if left untreated can lead to acute leukemia. The results came back negative and learned that sleep apnea is the second leading cause of elevated red blood cells. I did a sleep study and did have some sleep moderate apnea with a lot of breathing disruptions. I saw an ENT and he told me my deviated septum was at 90%! I had deviated septum surgery yesterday (Friday). I also had several polyps in my sinuses with massive puss. I am taking Arnina 200c two times a day for pain. The pain is not bad at all except the throat is very sore. I will be having the nasal tubes removed Monday. It will be interesting to see if my red blood cell count returns to normal. I am really glad I had the surgery.

  118. On the 08th December had a septoplasty surgery and on the 23rd December had the plastic slints removed. It is Christmas morning and I am in so much discomfort, having major flu type symptoms i.e headache, heavy head, swollen and painful running nose. The ENT specialist told me after taking the splints out that all I will need to do is rinse my nose twice a day with salt water then on the 11th January he will start me on a 3 month courtesone spray treatment.

    I am woundering if I should not go now on the courtesone spray treatment to relieve the pain and discomfort, can anyone advise here?

    For those that are thinking of doing the surgery, well mine was done under general aneasthetic and I am glad , but after waking up still in the surgery room I had an anxiety attack(could not breathe and throat was blocked with mucus) and the nurse gave me an injection which helped.

    The 14 days post surgery with plastic slints in my nose and cleansing treatment was uncomfortable.

    For now although in discomfort my previously blocked nasal passage seems to be open and I cannot wait until my nose is back to normal.

  119. I am having Functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS), septoplasty and Turbinate reduction in a few weeks. My biggest question is, how soon can I return to work and can you do so with the splints in. I’m terrified of this procedure but both sides are badly deviated and I am coming up on probably my 8 or 9th sinus infection this year. It’s been constant and I am pretty sick of being sick.

  120. Just had septo done two days ago, and yes it is very uncomfortable having to breath through my mouth accompanied by sleep deprivation. The left side was totally blocked in which I put off the surgery for a year. Cannot wait for the splints to be removed so I can hopefully breathe and sleep better.

  122. I had my surgery almost two months ago. I had it done on a Thursday and went back to work the following Tuesday, but probably should have waited one more day. Immediately after the splints were removed, I noticed a HUGE difference in the amount of air intake through my nose. It honestly freaked me out a bit! Now, I get more air through just one side than I did through my entire nose before on a good day. I’m happy I did it. The only weird thing I’ve noticed is that now, if I blow my nose too hard, I sound like a horse, so I avoid doing that…lol

  123. I just had the septoplasty surgery and turbinate reduction done on Jan. 15. After the procedure, The ENT said that my left side was 90 blocked. The third day after surgery was the worst for me because I didn’t like the side effects of the pain reliever and decided to take 2 -500 mg ibuprofen instead. The splints were removed later that day–that is when the super size headaches went away. Now that is is day 4 , I can breathe pretty well out of both nostrils. My question is how does the ENT determine how long to keep the stints in? In reading the posts, it looks like it can be up to 2 weeks.

  124. My nose is crooked if i do septoplasty it will change my nose a little bit or not if i do it my nose will b look pretty then now or it will b same

  125. Hey everyone,
    Having my surgery on Monday 8th February here in the UK two days time. Having septoplasty/turbinate reduction . I had a choice whether I wanted to be seen at a private clinic or NHS, even though I work for the NHS I chose private purely as I thought I’d have a long wait. My first consultation was back in November and I’m having op two months later so very pleased. Had my nose broken several times over my lifetime (44yrs) which has resulted in a deviated septum. My actual nose looks pretty straight really, suppose I got lucky. However I suffer with poor breathing and can only take a breath properly through my right nostril. I get bad nasal congestion and regular infections. So I’m hoping this operation with improve firstly my breathing. Can I just say I think all the young people who have posted on here are really brave and have actually helped me to relax a little about the whole thing. So thank you all. Wishing everybody a speedy recovery and sorry to hear about the pain some of you guys have experienced. It’s good news that the general feeling is that it does get better after the first few weeks. I’m hoping to do a video blog to help people decide if this op is for them and to try and help with before and after video. Looking forward to the promise of some nice vegan soups and smoothies to help me recover from wifey. Take care all!

  126. 8 months after sinus surgery…it was worth it! Cleaning out all the infection inside the sinus cavities to stop sinus infections and the pain that goes with it from them swelling shut..I still have to take allergy shots as I still have allergies from all the pollens blowing in the wind. I still use the Dymista nasal spray.
    So 2 months ago I went for my check up and all looks great in my sinus cavities….and with the great report I stopped flushing with the saline in the netti pot….huge mistake..today I am working and I feel this wierd horrible feeling from my sinus cavity and something trying to come down my throat..it felt like a little fish bone stuck in my throat..i am coughing and trying to get it out…turns out it is multiple packed tight green boogies (yes very gross)…it was a horible feeling and now I have learned my lesson and understand why the Dr said it is still important to flush to keep it nice and clean!

  127. Hi, I have a septum and I was recently told septum swill I interfere with your breathing. Which it has I believe.. I had the piercing for about a year or two years now and I’m planning on removing it.. Will my my breathing go back to normal or will I have to speak to a doctor about it ?

  128. i take surgery on 9March and splints are in my nose. doctor advised me to take things in eating. but still i had svere pain in my nose mostly, when i eat or light smile. my splints will be removed on 22march. they advise me to wash nose thrice in a days with 1litr water having 3spoon salt nd 3spoon sweet soda.should i go early to doctor? plz guide me

  129. I’m a healthy 36 yo female in the US. I had my septoplasty this morning (on a Thursday). There is no packing in my nose, but there are splints in both my nostrils.

    I went home about an hour after the surgery and slept off the rest of the anesthesia for a few hours. I have prescription pain pills and I’m taking them, at least for today, even though I only have a slight headache that comes and goes. I can actually breathe better with the splints in than I could before the surgery. The only thing that has been slightly more uncomfortable about this experience is the sore throat. The anesthesiologist explained it was from the breathing tube they use during the surgery and should go away in a day or two. An extra dry mouth (from the drugs) the first few hours didn’t help, but I’ve been drinking fluids and the occasional throat lozenge has helped too. I’ve also had some chicken noodle soup, but I’m allowed to go back to real food tomorrow.

    I was a little worried after reading all the comments here, but I’m already glad I had this surgery done. If I can breathe significantly better with the splints, I can only imagine how well I will breathe when they are removed.

    The other advantage is that the recovery nurse informed my husband that I shouldn’t do any cooking or cleaning for two weeks. 🙂 My doctor said I can go back to work on Monday, and since I spend most of my working hours at my desk, I think I’m going to be just fine, although I will probably try to keep my days a little shorter than usual next week.

    • I just had mine done yesterday (Mar 25th, 2016 @ 3 pm EST). I was told before the surgery that I would have gauze packed in my nose, they didn’t use it, positive about that and the nurse confirmed after surgery. I was never told about the tubes, I just discovered them about 30 mins ago and thanks to this forum I know what they are. Everytime I get up to go to the bathroom, thanks to the IV fluids, I notice my nose starts bleeding a little. I thought I was getting clogged by the blood so I tried to clean up a little when I noticed the tubes and I think I found what appears to be a string but there is no gauze. Again no one told me about the tubes, I think I might have moved one of them a little while cleaning out the dried blood. My biggest complaint is the sore throat, its killing me! I can already breath better, so I am happy about having the surgery and I can’t believe I wanted to put it off, it is SO worth it!

  130. Right now I’m training for my first Marathon, and I’ve noticed how hard it’s becoming for me to breathe on longer distances. I often have interrupted sleep and generally find it hard to breathe even when I’m not training. I know I have a deviated septum. I’ve never broken my nose, but I believe maybe I was just born with one. I was wondering, if I look I chose to do the surgery, how long until I could resume my training? Not being able to breathe properly is already slowing it down and I’m worried if I lose a huge chunk of time I won’t be prepared.

  131. I had this surgery 7 days ago. I haven’t dealt with a whole lot of pain just soreness which has been easily managed by taking Tylenol. Sleeping has been tough propped up on pillows but has become easier as time has passed; I’ve used the painkillers as a sleep aid. My nose is still very swollen; my doctor gave me steroids to reduce the swelling and have been icing my nose 2 to 3 times a day. It’s not bleeding and only bled 48 hours after surgery. No splints in my nose just sterile strips to hold the septum in place. I irrigate my nose with the Neil Med Rinse bottle and rinse solution. I was told to irrigate each time I felt like blowing my nose but I’d be in the bathroom every ten minutes if that was the case. I rinse 3 to 4 times a day. I rinse twice in the morning; 8 oz of rinse for each nostril versus the 4oz of rinse I devote to rinsing each nostril otherwise. The congestion and the overall tired feeling is really the worst of it for me. And of course, the restless feeling from not being able to do much else but rest.

  132. Just had this surgery yesterday.. And this recovery time…. Totally sucks!! I can’t breathe worth shit.. Hoping it gets better.. Fingers crossed I have been so tempted to pull that gauze out and the sore throat is like strep!!

  133. Hello. Just had a Septoplasty two days ago. Glad to hear mostly everyone is experiencing the same symptoms. Luckily for me my doctor does not use packing. After surgery I woke up with a small clamp on my nose. After several hours I removed it because it started to bother me. For the first day my nose bled non stop. Luckily, that stopped the very next day. The pain is different on day 3 as compared to say 1. Day 1 it was a little shocking when the actual numbing of the inside of your nose went away, so painful!!! It is almost worst now because all I feel is pressure in my nose, head, and upper teeth. The congestion is pretty constant, but I do get some relief with the Afrin the doctor gave me. I have not been told I can use a Neti pot though. I am over the feeling of wanting to rip my nose off my face though. Also, I have never wanted to blow my nose so badly. When does this pressure start to wear off, and do you all think I am okay to return to work 6 days after surgery?

  134. Is it a bad ideas to get this done during the peak of allergy season? I’m scheduled to get it done but my allergies are in full force at the moment and I’m worried about excessive sneezing and runny nose. Thoughts?

  136. I had septoplasty and rhinoplasty 3 days ago to correct a deviated septum. Overall the pain has been minimal. My nose is tender but not had any bleeding, just watery discharge.
    However my biggest problem post surgery is my throat. My tonsils in particular. They are swollen, looks like an abscess on them, and swallowing is hurts. I was told to expect a sore throat afterwards and assume this is from the tube put in my mouth during surgery.
    Lots of rest, but overall the symptoms have been ok, accept for my swollen tonsils.

  137. Question – after surgery did anyone notice that air was coming out your nose every time you swallowed? I’m only one day post op so I didn’t know if this was normal.
    Thanks!

  138. Thanks so much for this post.. I am sitting here at 3am the night after the surgery and cant sleep well as my nose is whistling and making noises while I mouth breathe through cracked lips.. the packs and splints are really clogging it up.. oh and the blood clots. Again thanks for the post, I myself am a doctor but needed the reassurance and it is comforting plus exciting to read your story. Regards

  139. Thank you very much for the information.

    June 23, 2016

    i am experiencing all the things you mentioned except that i did not bleed after removing the packing. But i have very small amount of clear discharge. im taking 8 tyl 3 per day plus antihistamine to prevent sneezing. Im applying polisporin 3x a day ( advise from my ent ) Good to know that the surgery is worth it. i am looking forward to get good sleep be able to breath properly.

  140. I waited 30 years to go forward with the procedure of septoplasty and turbanate reduction. After sleep apnea becoming essentially life threatening, as I struggled wearing a CPAP at night, I faced the inevitable. On May 25th I had the surgery, although the most difficult part was having stents in each nostril for 6 days after, and difficulty sleeping during that time, I am so happy and pleased I had the procedure done. I feel like a new person. I had an excellent physician in Dr. Androzzi (ENT) and would tell anyone who is procrastinating because of fear, to find a good physician and get it done.

  141. Day 12 post surgery – I had the septoplasty and turbinate reduction surgery done, its been a journey but my concern is has anyone felt like their ears hasn’t popped and open up completely? If so please reply with suggestions if went through the experiences. Has anyone been swimming and got water in your ear that would not come out well thats the best way i can describe it and going through, its not bad but very annoying and noticeable to me when i talk. They packed me with some stuff called flo stop to stop the bleeding (i bleed for 14 hrs post op) that help along with the balloon splints but now in my left nostril thick dry scabbs (is what i would say) in my left nostril. I am still slightly breathing through my mouth when sleeping, if anyone can relate to what i am going through please respond with suggestions or solutions. Thanks

  142. I had a deviated septum. I had the surgery and the day after, i ended having seizures. The surgery gave me Epilepsy (with no family history) and a harsh for or rosacea (red, dry yet oily skin) around my nose and eyes. It did help me breathe, but i still have sleep apnea. I could not form a lawsuit, as no other doctor would agree with me.

  143. Hi Everyone,
    I am currently on Day 8 post surgery, and it was way easier than I expected it to be. I had bilateral turnbinates, septoplasty with a bone spur removed (splints/stents in place till day 10 in two days) and an ethmoidectomy – basically opening up those little sinuses to the point that they don’t exist in themselves any longer. I was under GA for the first time ever – this was the worst for me – I was worried I would be nauseous but the main issue was was with dizziness and vision for days afterwards. Nasal-wise, I had dissolvable packing and had a bad night the night in the hospital with the packing dissolving and seeping down my throat, throat dry and itchy after intubation etc. But a strepsils or 3 helped with this as did sips of drinks….
    I got home around 36 hrs after surgery – dizzy mainly – no real pain even though I was on paracetamol only. But that day I had no appetite and lay mostly.
    From Day 2 I started rinsing, felt much better from then on. Congested but no real pain. I used vaseline on my lips and tips of nostrils/under nose as it gets dry from the rinse solution in the Sinus Rinse packs.
    My biggest issue is the nylon stitches – they itch like hell and are keeping the stents/splints in place and I seem to have a few of them on the more affected side – the side with the bone spur. I will have them all removed in two days and can’t wait.
    It is also very hot here now and humid and this does not help with a stuffy nose but honestly since day 5 I have much better breathing than I have ever had in my life – even with the splints still in!!!

    So, go for it – it doesn’t hurt so much – it is a week of stuffiness out of your life – I promise – feels like a rotten cold and not much more!

  144. Hello everyone, I too got diagnosis with a nasal septum. I wanted to ask did this had an impact on sleep, no libido, and ED? There are days I feel out of it and wake up breathless with no air after hours of sleep. my noses is always stuff in the morning and feel is having an impact on my sex life

  145. Hey everyone,
    I work as a lifeguard, So I was wondering if I’ll be ok to sit and do my job for the weekend (my surgery is on a thursday)?

  146. Thank you for your article.
    I found even more reasons to have this surgery done (in Russian language – it’s about how the deviated septum affects the nervous and even urinary system, first it seems really strange, doesn’t it?)
    I would like to ask your permission to translate your article to Russian for my blog (I’ll definitely say there who is the author) .

  147. I had my dns this thurs & i am unable to sleep bcoz my as i feel my nose is choaked unable to breath..what to do..??

  148. Help!!!! I feel Terrible.
    I underwent septoplasty and turbinate reduction on Monday, August 15.
    I have a horrible pain shooting out from the back of my right nostril (the left side is okay) and it hurts so much when ever i swallow saliva, let alone water 🙁
    I just got off the phone with a emergency followup nurse, she wants me to go in tomorrow because from my description, she thinks that a splint falling out the back end and stabbing my throat….can anyone relate? I can stand this anymore…..It’s almost 4am and its driving me nuts.

  149. 43 year old male – I had my septum fixed and turbinates reduced about 6 weeks ago. Before surgery I couldn’t breath well out of my right nostril…6 weeks after surgery my right nostril is much better, but now I’m rarely able to breath out of my left nostril. If I pull the skin back a bit (where my cheek bone is) I can breath great. Does this sound like I need to have my nose fixed again or does it sound like my turbinates/sinuses are still swollen?

  150. I am 4 days post op. My experience has been hellish to say the least. Surgery was short went in at 2 and by 3:15 moved to recovery. Left hospital at 6:00pm, by 6:30 I was gushing blood. Rushed back to emerge only to sit for 7 hours. Finally was seen by a specialist. He proceeded to pull out the packing, clearing both nostils and then stuffing gauze up one side so far into my nose I was screaming out with pain. He had the nerve to roll his eyes at my pain and said to the nurse I was being dramatic. From that the bleeding stopped. Since day 2 been having water- constant tearing on the one side of my face where he shoved the gauze. My face feels like a sledge hammer hit it. I been able to rinse 4 times since yesterday. The meds prescribed only give me headaches so I cant take them for pain. I wont be able to take the splits out for another 11 days. I am in so much pain. I ice it every few hours but it really doesnt help. I cant eat…I sleep a few hours at at time. I am absolutely terrified to go back to the doctor or hospital. How have others dealt with the pain?

  151. this is an extremely long page that is 90% complaints, bad experiences or worries within 2 weeks prior to two weeks post septoplasty and septoplasty combined with other surgery. i’d like for op to encourage all posters to a) include what day post surgery they’re on at time of post (not everyone does), and b) to contact and encourage everyone who had a bad experience to update their entry again many weeks/months later. i’d also suggest list be c) broken down into two categories and/or tagged: good experience, bad experience.

  152. This was very helpful. Thank you!!! I’m scheduled to have mine done in a couple of weeks.

  153. Hi ,there im glad that you have written this post.I really do hope that the surgery is good so far.I would be glad if you can help me with one question. Actually i heard form one of my ayurvedic doctor that even after the septoplasty surgery it gets crooked again is this really true ??? If anyone can help me with this i would be really grateful .

  154. Hello everyone. I’m trying to find a good ent. I had a ct scan back in 2013. It started with stuffy nose. Went from bad to worse. The scan showed that I have chronic sinusitis & a very severe deviated septum. Was told surgery was the only thing that would help. My left nostril stays stopped up & I get bad eye pain & sometimes it feels like someone has a blowtorch up my nose & the pressure is unreal! This has been going on for a few years now. The majority of the time, painmeds don’t even work. I have read all of the comments on here & I have never heard anyone describe feeling like I do. My face, teeth, jaws & left eye hurts. My throat is already sore & I haven’t even had the surgery yet. As much as I have already suffered, I think I can get through the surgery as long as I know that I will have a doctor who knows what he’s doing. Thanks for everones input. I hope you all are doing better! My prayers to you all. God bless.

  155. Hello, I’m thinking of getting my deviated septum fixed.

    Could you tell me about what foods you shouldn’t eat before and after surgery besides garlic?

    Also, is it recommended that you don’t leave the house after your surgery?

    Why do some people who have done the surgery may say it doesn’t work?

    Thanks,
    Pauline

    • Pauline – Just had my deviated septum ‘corrected’ on Tuesday (29th November).
      57 years old.
      My experience:
      Exactly as described by the majority of folk.
      I would say, you are told that the surgery may not work but believe it’s a ‘rule’ that the surgeon needs to follow. Think positive.
      3 days in and the pain has receded to the extent that I’m giving up my medication.
      I do feel exhausted and everything is a chore – This will pass –
      The sore throat seems to be a common side effect. I’ve not had antibiotics prescribed and find that eating yoghurt goes a long, long way in relieving this symptom.
      The operation itself was a piece of cake – You close your eyes, then open them and it’s all over – Just the recovery to undertake –
      The benefits far outweigh the ‘drudgery’ of this procedure and plenty of rest recommended.
      Go for it.
      Gordon.

  156. The doctor told me I have a deviated septum and I should get the surgery, I have spoken to people that have had the surgery, they told me it is very painful when removing the cones from your nose. I am a wimp and so afraid of this. I might not get the surgery due many people are telling me its very painful. :-(.

  157. I am 38 male, i had had problem of shotening of breath problem at the age of 16 then i visited Specialist he recommended me cautery. after that i was feeling amazing as it was only a matter of half hour local anesthesia operation. but after that i feel shortening of breath specially when i am allegic and infected with sinusitis. i visited Doctor he recommeded me to go for DNS operation as almost both sides of nose are blocked in airflow. i only keep avoiding it since many years that it deshaped the nose surgery and also it is not permanent solution it arise back after years and needs to go for surgery again. can anybody guide me what to do ?

  158. I had the septum surgery a week ago. Surgery part was easy. No packing put in which was lucky for me cause I hear that’s horrible. What has been the worst is the sinus headaches and the congestion. I nasal rinse all the time with mins of relief only. Getting no sleep cause my mouth dries out from mouth breathing. Basically sit up to sleep. Hoping congestion will go away soon as well as headaches.

  159. Hi all, i am 4 days after my septoplasty and sinus surgery which included removing a fair amount of polyps. Like most people i suffered badly from sleep deprivation, dry mouth, and always tired.
    All in all the surgery seemed to go well according to the doctor. I had no splints or packing in place. My face did feel swollen / tender but this was not painful, only aware i had an operation. I had a lot of bleeding from the nostril but this started to decrease significantly after 48 hours. I had a lot of dry and clotted blood in left nostril which i have just managed to clean out tonight, great relief. I am still quite blocked in my right nostril which was the problem nostril and have a horible taste in my mouth and smell in my nose. I am hopeful this is all part of the cleaning out process and soon i will have full use of this nostril? Does anyone have a similar condition? Is this smell / taste likely to pass and the nostril unblock?
    Many thanks

    Ps – if this works i would recommend in a heartbeat, the surgery or recovery has been a little uncomfortable and certainly not painful (my opinion only)

  160. I have a few questions.
    1) I am 79 years old, am I too old to have surgery?

    2) will my sinus troubles be any better?

    Last question: I use a cpap machine with a pillow mask, how soon after the operation can I start my cpap again

  161. I have deviated septum. Since last 5 years i am able to sleep in only certain positions. I am seventy years old. Can I go for operation?

  162. At 52 years old, and after being sick with a 5 month continued sinus infection, and ear infections and 4 antibiotics later. My sinus CT showed I was loaded with polyps and had a Deviated Septum. 5 days ago, I had out patient surgery for Bilateral ventilation tube placement in my ears, Septoplasty, inferior turbinoplasty and FESS (Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery) all in one surgery. Besides having trouble with coming out of anesthesia. Surgery went well. Just a little over 3 1/2 hour surgery for all of it. Came home with Hydrocodone pain medication. Only needed for the first night. But, really didn’t need it (took it, thinking it might help me sleep better, since I had to sleep sitting up). Other than that, I took regular Tylenol for remainder of pain medication to keep under control. But, I do have a high pain tolerance control. I have struggled with headaches every since the surgery. This is normal, according to my ENT. I had my large clear plastic stents in my sinuses for 4 days. I have dissolvable packing. I can not blow my nose for 3 weeks. No heavy lifting for 3 weeks. No nose sprays either. So I have been able to use a Vicks steamer, which has been very soothing on my face and sinuses. And also, I do some acupuncture and massage my toes for the (facial part of the acupuncture) to relieve pressure and any uncomfortableness or pain I might of been experiencing. And I will massage in some doterra oils in my toes to relieve and soothe the sinus as well, like Breathe or peppermint. I also, will put on onguard and frankience to kill all the germs from forming in there. I also add a drop or two of tea tree oil (melalucca oil) in the Vicks steamer, to help ward off and kill any reoccurring polyps. My first 3 nights of sleep was the hardest. I did sleep with a fan directly on me to circulate air to help breathe in, to help take away any anxiety I was feeling about “suffocating”. That was a huge help. I truly believe the doterra oils in the steamer was a huge help to me not having any black eyes from the surgery appear. The swelling was there for the doctor could not see the work he had done on the day he took out the stents on day 4. However, the swelling on the outside of the face looked like it had went down a lot. The drainage of blood was thick for me, due to I still had infection that was still trying to get out of my system. I was diagnosed a couple of years ago with CPAP. Maybe I had the deviated Septum and didn’t know it? So, I’ll be anxious to see my sleep pattern improve, when all this is said and done. I do have very bad sleep deprevation. So much that I have been in the process of being checked for narcolepsy, all before this surgery was done. So perhaps, this had something to do with it? I am overweight, they say that this might have something to do with it as well? So I’ll follow up on that too. As of right now, as far as the weight goes, it might be easy to loose. Because this surgery unfortunately has taken away my VERY GOOD taste buds I used to have and my VERY GOOD smell buds I had. I am praying to God that this is temporary, and this will in due time come back, as I heal from this surgery as well. After surgery it is easier to eat soft foods and drink from a straw. I did have chocolate pudding and applesauce that I could actually taste. And ginger ale. But, as for anything else, it was just texture for me. I only knew I was hungry, because my stomach was growling. The other thing that I have not enjoyed is the way that my mouth “feels altered”. My teeth feel like their smooshed together. Like I had braces on for a year or something and just taking off. And numb on the roof of my mouth. Not sure if this is a temporary thing or not? Well, this is my experience of my surgery, hopefully this will help answer someone’s questions for your successful surgery. By the way, I get to go back to work on Monday. So that’s less than 6 days after my surgery. Nice recovery time!

  163. I had a repair to my deviated septum and bilateral inferior turbinate reduction surgery this past Friday. This was the result from an auto accident last May. I really did not want to undergo another surgery from my car accident but migraines have been awful on top of being tired all the time and my husband eaz complaining since the accident I now snore.
    I had the best doctor, took the packing out while in recovery. Just amazing care. Very worth the surgery

  164. I too have a deviated spectrum, I am finding difficulty while breathing from left nasal. And Cheeks around the nose becoming sunken or hollow. And my complete face has changed. I consulted more than 2 doctors they said no need of any surgery. But still my problem not solved. Can anyone suggest me what needs to be do.

  165. I am looking to get the deviated septum repair. I have been advised by different people w different advise. Did you go to a Plastic Surgeon or an ENT for the surgery? And, do they have to break your nose for surgery ?

  166. I am getting 8 sinuses cleaned out, deviated septum fixed and turbinates cut away on April 19th. I a, glad to read David’s article to see it wasn’t as bad as some of the YouTube video nightmares. I see some people here have had nightmares too but I like to focus on the positive. I am a nurse and know that all this junk, blockage, crookedness inside my nose will need to be fixed to feel better. I am preparing for the worst as the doctor said mine is almost the worst he has ever seen ? This is my second surgery because the first doctor was negligent. I did well on that one but know thus one involves more. Thanks David for making me see the facts. This was helpful. I know breathing better, snoring less, less sinus infections (1 every four weeks) and sense if smell returning is around the corner. Have a blessed day. Please say a prayer for me on the 19th. I will let you know the outcome, which I think will be all worth it.

  167. I’m scheduled to have surgery in June. Is it recommended that you don’t leave the house after your surgery in case there’s an infection? Can I still work from home or are you in too much pain that you need to recover?

  168. Would you be able to work from home after a deviated septum surgery. Or will you be in too much pain post surgery?

  169. I AM JIM T. I WAS IN A MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT WHEN I WAS IN THE MILITARY . MY NOISE WAS BROKE ,EVER SINCE THAT DAY I HAVE A HARD TIME BREATHING OUT OF MY LEFT NOSTRIL . I USE THOSE BREATHE RIGHT STRIPS, WORK’S OK WHEN I SLEEP . THANKS FOR LETTING ME HANG OUT MY DIRTY LAUNDRY.

  170. Sir

    I have operated my DNS of left nosestril on 26 April doctors had discharged me on 28 Apr . Now I am at home since 1 day has passed my right nosestril is blocked I am not able to breath from right nose is this due to swelling or anything else. Please clarify I am waiting and also how much time It will take to fully recover

    Thanks sir

  171. Had Septo and turb reduction 8 days ago, its not to bad. Did have some low points though but looking back some things I would have change is listing to the doctor about the blood thinners, stay away from anything that will increase blood pressure, anything that get the heart rate up like coffee, energy drinks, multi vitamins, fish oil etc. as soon I did these things my breathing got worse, my nose would stop up because of blood, i stoped doing those thing and helped a lot I could breath better. So now listen to your doctor, I can already breath better and sleep better, get it done but don’t do what you thinks best, but listen to your ENT.

  172. i m almost 22 now and operated twice at the age of 15 and 18 because of overgrown nasal bone inside.I feel well in early days after surgery but not that well after few months.The main problem is that now after about 4years of surgery i still experience scares in my nose as i woke and they interrupt my breathing and voice

  173. Had my septoplasty about 3 or 4 weeks ago. Although it looks slightly better and I can breathe a little better, I wish it had done more, and now wished I had just gotten a rhinoplasty. I’m still suffering. About a week ago I hit the top of my head pretty hard and my nose has stayed swollen for the entire week. It’s hard to deal with.

  174. hi everyone

    Im due my septoplasty surgery on my right nostril at the end of june. I am completly freaking out now only because the thought of not being able to breathe through my nose after it.

    My left nostril is perfect and i can breathe perfectly through that. Can someone please tell me if i will still be able to breathe through the left nostril after surgery? As the right nostril is only getting operated on.
    Hope someone can answer this for me please?

  175. Thanks David for creating this website and sharing your experience.

    Like some of you, I just recently had my septoplasty surgery completed 4 days ago. The surgery itself took about 2 hours and I was placed in the recovery room for abour 4-5 hours. I’m really looking forward to breathing like a normal person (from both nostrils!) in a month or two months time. I’ve been dealing with a deviated septum for 4-5 years and have been sleeping on my right hand side since my left nostril is blocked at night. This caused a lot of muscle pain and numbness when I wake up in the morning.

    I haven’t had proper sleep in the past couple days as I’m not used to breathing through my mouth. My mouth is so dry and my throat hurts. Coughing up phlegm and maybe getting sick. Have had a fever for the past couple days. Not sure if this is normal but did go see the ENT specialist and he said that there isn’t any infection. Been taking Tylenol and prescribed antibiotics. I have been taking Strepsils/lozenges as well. My eyes are watery and I look like a mess. I bought a humidifier in my room so I can use it during my sleep.

    You can only eat soft or liquid foods in the first week. Don’t eat anything that causes your blood to thin. i.e. fish, omega 3, mushroom, garlic, tomatoes.

    Gary – If your right nostril is being operated on, your left nostril will also be blocked due to packing since they have to straighten your septum. Both your nostrils will have packing. Don’t freak out…it will be fine!

    Good luck everyone! I’ll post again in a few days.

  176. I was diagnosed of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) in 2012 at the age of 63. I had been a heavy smoker, my symptoms started out with dry cough and shortness of breath, i ended up in the hospital, on a ventilator. I should have known it was coming, but like most smokers, thought it would never happen to me. My COPD got significantly worse and unbearable because of my difficulty catching breath. Last year, i started on a natural COPD Herbal therapy from NewLife Herbal Clinic, i read a lot of positive reviews from patients who used the treatment and i immediately started on it. I had great relief with this herbal treatment. I breath very much better now, no case of shortness of breath or chest tightness since treatment. Visit NewLife Herbal Clinic website ww w. newlifeherbalclinic. com. This COPD treatment is a miracle!!

  177. I’ve been a bad breather all my life, and with that a bad sleeper. At the age of 33 I was diagnosed with a deviated septum. The comments above give quite good picture of the memory I have of the operation. The frustrating thing however was that quite quickly , after some years, at the most my lnose was blocked again. I’ve learned to live with a blocked left nostril, but somehow the problem seems to get worse. These last couple of weeks I’ve hardly slept one night without a sleeping tablet. As soon as I lie down I start gasping for breath through my mouth. It’s quite an ordeal but I can’t decide to have me operated on again. I must say the comments I read here do not reassure me either. The story of David started very hopeful, I almost thought I should go for it again, untill he writes that his nose was blocked again.

  178. Cause and effect. Mouth breathing means your tongue is down, means your tongue is not UP supporting your maxilla, means your entire factual bone structure grows down instead of forward, means less space for eyes, sinuses, airways, teeth and yes, septum. Means deviated septum. No matter how young or old, bones do shape depending on the forces acting on them.

    Fix the cause, not the symptom. Breathe through your nose, tongue up, swallow properly, and have good body/head posture.