Deviated Septum

[Thremp]

Nasal surgery is horrid.

[Woolygimp]

I had it done.
Recovery was absolute hell, and I'm not kidding.

[DonkeyKongSr]

[ QUOTE ]
I had it done.
Recovery was absolute hell, and I'm not kidding.

[/ QUOTE ]

Besides the pain, I bet sleeping is horrendously difficult, right? Like 10x worse than when I have a stuffed up nose and try to sleep.

[Kneel B4 Zod]

[ QUOTE ]
I had it done.
Recovery was absolute hell, and I'm not kidding.

[/ QUOTE ]

that, and it only seemed to work for a few years [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

[Woolygimp]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I had it done.
Recovery was absolute hell, and I'm not kidding.

[/ QUOTE ]

Besides the pain, I bet sleeping is horrendously difficult, right? Like 10x worse than when I have a stuffed up nose and try to sleep.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well the surgery isn't bad at all.

However, imagine not having one particle of air pass through your nose for around 2 weeks, and trust me... it gets to you. Sleeping is almost impossible, and your first few nights you will wake up several times. You'll a drowning sensation anytime you eat, or have anything to drink. Speaking is just as difficult.

I'm not trying to scare you, but I'm not gonna paint some rose colored picture for you. You should definitely have it done, but don't expect to be a happy camper.

I mean it just sucks, and that's all there is to it. Not being able to breath effectively through your nose for the majority of your life sucks even more, so I definitely recommend it. Just don't expect to be a happy camper.

In the case you do have it done make sure you have a ton of movies, or just anything to keep you occupied 'inside' the majority of the time. The strategy I took to the ordeal was to stay up as long as humanly possible, I avoided sleep for as long as I could and I tried to have fun. Eventually I would become dog tired, and I'd go to sleep and i was tired enough to not wake myself up.

[1st and 15]

Interesting reading other ppl's take on this surgery as I found the recovery to not be SO bad. Sure there's tons of bloody gauze involved, and you do feel like you are giving birth through your nose the first time they take all the packing out (not to mention the removal of that solid mucus sinus buildup which hurt BAD). However, for me I did not experience the problems sleeping/drowning sensations other did. I was pretty hazy from the meds but def listen to tug and make sure you get enough. I had to go into the office to request a re-fill, b/c w/o the meds the pain is pretty savage.

PS - after the 1-2 weeks the gauze is in and then the 1 week you arent supposed to blow your nose, that first time you get to expunge all that crap up there and actually breathe it feels unbelieveable. I remember thinking - so THIS is what it actullay feels like to inhale through your nose - AWESOME. Too bad the surgery doesn't seem to have long-lasting affects as others have pointed out. I really don't want to do it again, I'm only 24 and I've already had enough surgery for a lifetime.

[tuq]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I had it done.
Recovery was absolute hell, and I'm not kidding.

[/ QUOTE ]

Besides the pain, I bet sleeping is horrendously difficult, right? Like 10x worse than when I have a stuffed up nose and try to sleep.

[/ QUOTE ]
It's all about the meds, baby. Like I said, I would be in my happy place for an hour and then the pain would wake me up and I'd be in agony for an hour. I give myself props for not getting ahead on the pill schedule because it sucked so much.

Also, 1st & 15 and KB4Z both implied it's not a "forever" thing. That's some disturbing news that will probably make me paranoid every time I get stuffed up, but I did the math and it's been 12+ years since I had it done and I've seen no indications of the condition returning.

[GovmentCheese]

I've also had it done, as my doc said I "had the most deviated septum he's ever seen"... I was a terrible snorer - which is why I had the procedure done...

the procedure itself.. I remember waking up feeling like someone had hit me in the face with a baseball bat... but the recovery wasn't terrible.

..it also didn't solve all my problems.. still snored - then I quit smoking - which really helped.. but I still snore and although I can breathe much better through my nose.. I'm still congested moreso than not. However, going through surgery did make it so my fiancee doesn't bitch any more about my snoring... which.. for me, is about as good as not snoring anymore.

[Toro]

Do a lot of research and get a really good doctor. I've had it done twice by two different docs. The first experience was horrible and he didn't fix it right.

I had it done again a few years later by another doc who was highly recommended and it was a peice of cake. When i was discussing how horrible the recovery was with the 2nd doc before the 2nd surgery he explained that he had new methods which didn't requre "packing" after the operation.

Well, he was right and I only had about a day or two of minor discomfort with very minor bleeding. If you're near Massachusetts check out Dr. Min Ahn in Worcester, he's also a plastic surgeon and I think he's terrific.

[West]

I'm in the D.C. area...after reading all this, if it turns out to be something that I should do, I think I'll definitely ask around more than I would have otherwise.