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Sinus surgery without general anathesia
I am 3 months plus into a sinus infection and on 4/5th antibiotic,,but nothing has helped. I don’t have any congestion or breathing problems, but have constant sinus pressure and light headedness.
Since the culprit is a blocked ethmoid, the ENT says balloon sinusplasty is not an option, so likely headed towards FESS. I don’t disagree with his plan, but have a real fear of general anesthesia. I want a local and sedation. Anyone gone this route, or have any recommendations?
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I had sinus surgery in 1994. I know sinus surgery has come a long way since then! My ENT doctor told me I could choose general anesthesia or mild sedation, BUT, he said I would hear everything that he was doing in my sinuses, scraping, etc. I opted for general anesthesia. I am glad I made that decision. Praying for all to go well with you and you get much needed relief.
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2 ReactionsThanks for your quick response. From my research on anesthesia, it looks like heavy reliance on it is an American thing and not so much in the rest of the world.
Hello @redsoxn2024 and welcome to Connect. I have not had sinus surgery so I cannot help you with that experience. I did have a BAHA bone anchored hearing aid abutment placed under local only, no sedation. This involves drilling a small hole into the parietal bone of the skull behind the ear. The button-like abutment is then screwed into the skull. It was noisy with lots of pressure but no pain after the local. This was one year after having a subtotal temporal bone resection to remove the cancer invading my ear and the bone behind it. That eight hour surgery was of course under general anesthesia at Mayo Clinic. I wonder if you could schedule a visit to the anesthesia team you would be using to discuss alternatives, your fears of general anesthesia, and perhaps help you to make your decision?
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You would not want to be awake for this. The bone between your eye and the ethmoid cavity is the thickness of an egg shell. They also have to make many passes through your nasal cavity with tools.
Just be sure this ENT is a Rhinologist whom is comfortable working in ALL areas of the sinuses. Some are not.
Would also read through this article.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1169095/#:~:text=Antimicrobials%20used%20for%20chronic%20ethmoid,quinolones%20(e.g.%2C%20moxifloxacin)Make sure you have been cultured and or tried this type of antimicrobial/antibiotic therapy w/ the assistance of your ENT
Have you tried oral steroids in combination with the antibiotics?
And or topcial steroid sprays with it?
Thanks, good advice.
Yes, I have tried them.
Just be careful with antiobiotic clindamycin . Most often leads to cdiff
Thanks. Went to ent today. For a moment, he was willing to try sinusplasty, but the looked at my nose again and said septum deviated enough to make that not an option. Going back in a month to reassess. Have an already scheduled appointment in 2 weeks for a second opinion.
Hello! I had a balloon sinuplasty and turbinate reduction a couple of years ago, under sedation and local anesthesia. I was loopy enough from the sedation that I don't remember the entire procedure, but I do remember the 'crunching' sound as the balloon expanded and the 'grinding' noise during the turbinate reduction. It didn't really bother me much, but I've had plenty of surgeries and I think I'm probably an exception rather than the norm. My ENT didn't mention general anesthesia as an option (as far as I remember), but if he had I would have still gone with the local and sedation; recovery from general is always a rough road for me.
@ricebear was that balloon and reduction a success? How was the recovery?