1. < Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT)

Septoplasty/turbinate reduction surgery experience

Posted by kellyb7 @kellyb7, Jun 7 12:09pm

Hello,
I have a pretty bad deviated septum that blocks %90 percent of my right nostril and turbinates that are really swollen you can see from just looking in my nose regularly.
I’m scheduled for surgery this coming month but am TERRIFIED since I have heard so many bad things regarding this surgery, if anyone has had it can you please tell me your experience?
Was it worth it?
Any negative side effects ?
Did you get empty nose syndrome?
Is it better, worse or the same?

Thank you!!

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@seekinginfo | @nrd1 | Jun 7 4:33pm

@kellyb7 -

I can chime in here. I wouldn’t get so stuck on the term “empty nose syndrome”. It’s just a category name that has been placed upon post op complaints that ENTs don’t take responsibility for because there is no way to prove it exists. So they keep all complaints under that name.

•HOWEVER- as with ANY surgery.
Ortho, Neuro, etc…there can be consequences and negative outcomes. For whatever reason, ENT surgeons think they are exempt from causing harm to someone.
Understand ALL RISKS

•Advice I can give- be sure you have ruled out ALL possibilities to have the subjective feeling of nasal obstruction.

•ENTs can NOT “assign” blockage from an objective perspective. They can only go off what a patient tells them and match it up to what they learned in a txt book and med school. Breathing is a subjective experience. Let NO surgeon use a scope to look into your nose and tell YOU that you have blockage.

•For swollen turbinates.
There is a reason.
Allergies, physical/nutritional lifestyle, environment and medications.

•Be sure you have addressed EVERY area of this. And have utilized maximum medical therapy for a minimum of 6 months before ever moving forward with this surgery.

•Get a second, third opinion.

•Ask the technique being used

•Ask to go over ALL risks/side effects, not just the RARE side effects.

•Ask ENTs history and do NOT believe them when they say they’ve had 100% success rate.

•And lastly go with your gut intuition and do not feel rushed or pressured as these surgeries are only a quality of life surgery and not a life saving surgery.

•This surgery is only an ADJUNCT surgery and not any type of cure to your inflammation, congestion.

•Be mindful that these surgeries are the bread and butter of the ENT world, offered to almost every patient that steps foot in their clinic.

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