Turbinate reduction and septoplasty

[roster]

I have been reading some of the great posts about these procedures. Can we talk about them again? Let me know your experiences please.

I am at 20 cm pressure and still having many apneas when I sleep on my back. Also 20 cm is very difficult to tolerate due to the noise and difficulty holding the leak rate down.

I will have an allergy scratch test tomorrow to check for anything unusual. Doc put me on nasal steriods for four weeks to see if they reduce the size of the turbinates.

Assuming the turbinates do not respond miraculously well to the steriods and the allergy tests do not show anything unusual, turbinate reduction surgery will be scheduled.

While at it, they will correct the septum which has an ess shape that air has to flow through.

What do you think based on your experience? Should I do it?

[Rich03079]

I am on 17 so that why I am having this done to my nasal passage on 11/08/2007

Here is link on gook information on operation, and will tell you more after the operation on 11/08.

http://www.somnoplasty.com/MDframePC.html


http://www.somnoplasty.com/MDTrack/Intr ... intro.html

http://www.somnoplasty.com/MDframePC.html


Rich03079

[sharon1965]

rooster
i had my septum repaired in april and i'm so glad that i did...i've been on daily allergy meds since i was 11, with lots of tylenol or advil cold and sinus thrown in there for good measure...since my surgery i haven't taken one single dose of medication for what i used to think were my allergy symptoms...i do have allergies, but much milder than i thought and not a problem since the surgery; no more sneezing, no more constant congestion...it's like a dream...i say DO IT!!

as for the turbinate reduction, i don't know anything about that except that you need to watch out for a phenomenon called "empty nose syndrome" which i read about when i googled for more info on septoplasty and it sounded a little scary to me

good luck!
sharon

[roster]

...... you need to watch out for a phenomenon called "empty nose syndrome" ......
sharon

Good point. I already have empty head syndrome and they may run together.

[sharon1965]

ha ha, very funny...but seriously read about it...it kinda freaked me out!

[roster]

I am on 17 so that why I am having this done to my nasal passage on 11/08/2007

Here is link on gook information on operation, and will tell you more after the operation on 11/08.

http://www.somnoplasty.com/MDframePC.html


http://www.somnoplasty.com/MDTrack/Intr ... intro.html

http://www.somnoplasty.com/MDframePC.html


Rich03079

Thanks for the good links Rich.

Regarding turbinate reduction, I guess there is a decision to be made between electrocautery and actual incision and removal of submucosa. My doc is talking about actual incision.

His practice's website says, "While shrinking the turbinates may not provide as much long-term success as actually trimming them, turbinate cauterization can be accomplished in the office without significant discomfort."

Maybe he is thinking since I will have to recover from surgery to correct the septum, he might as well do the turbinate reduction by incision and let me recover from it at the same time. I will need to discuss this with him.

I would like to get the sleep doc involved also. I absolutely cannot wear a traditional full face mask because they cause bad damage to my nose bridge. I use the Hybrid and can imagine that nasal pillows will not go well with a recovering schnozzola. Hmmm. What to do? What to do?

[Rich03079]

Well I am still research pro & cons, and will share anything of interest here!!!

Rich03079

[sleepngo]

Two years ago I had the nasal surgery done, which included shrinking the Turbinates, removing three large nasal polyps, straightening the septum and drilling extra holes in the nasal cavities to allow for better drainage. Prior to having surgery my nose was congested 24/7, had severe sinus infections and a common cold that would normally last a couple of days, would last for weeks, all gone, my pressure was 12 then, now 10 and best of all I can breath through my nose. when I sleep on my side my pressure can drop to 5cm. For me it was a no brainer and I was back on my Cpap machine in three weeks, using a CC nasal mask. Would I do it again, in a heart beat. Oh yes I haven't had a sinus infection or a cold in over two years sense having the nasal surgery.

Dan

Almost forgot, you might want to take a look at this site before seeing your ENT, so you can discuss ramification of Turbinates reduction:
http://emptynosesyndrome.org/ens.html

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): cpap machine

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): cpap machine

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): cpap machine

[lilsheba]

...... you need to watch out for a phenomenon called "empty nose syndrome" ......
sharon

Good point. I already have empty head syndrome and they may run together.

And I had to go and read up on it cause I got curious....OH MY GOD that doesn't sound like fun at all.

[Snoredog]

If you need it done, you need it done. ENT should be able to tell you the approximate percentage of obstruction. I was over 85% on one side and nearly blocked on the other, got bronchitis over and over again. But I haven't had bronchitis since.

I had a deviated septum fixed, the bump taken off my nose, it narrowed up on the sides a bit, deviated septum straightened and the bony structure of the turbinates reduced. That helped greatly with breathing, you cannot believe the difference once the pull that packing out.

Back when I had it done they didn't have the RF probe or laser. They cut the turbinate tissue, chiseled and filed down the bone and sutured the tissue back over it.

Mine was done over 25 years ago, I have never regretted that surgery once (well once when my 18-month old daughter bonged heads with me trying to give me a kiss about 5 days after the surgery).

While you could be blocked that much in the nasal cavity to cause the 20 cm pressure, I think that obstruction is lower.

If you use a Full Face mask, do you still need 20 cm pressure? If so that would indicate the obstruction or collapse is lower down the throat like at the base of the tongue or tonsils, because you are bypassing the nose via the mouth with a FF.

[MLefholtz]

My experience pretty much parallels Snoredog's. Surgery done about the same length of time ago. Sounds like the procedure was similar. The appearance of my nose did not change. I also had nasal polyps removed.

I've never regretted the surgery either. Breathing has always been easier, infections almost non-existant, and allergy medicines a thing of the past.

Mike

[roster]

.............

If you use a Full Face mask, do you still need 20 cm pressure? If so that would indicate the obstruction or collapse is lower down the throat like at the base of the tongue or tonsils, because you are bypassing the nose via the mouth with a FF.

My recent second titration at 20 cm was using a F&P432 FF.

The ENT said the base of my tongue was only slightly thick and he would not have expected a need for 20 cm.

He is expecting I will need a much lower pressure after turbinate reduction and correction of the septum. He cited Venturi effect and Bernoulli principle and said cpap air flow through the nose can more easily splint the airway as compared to flow through the mouth. The same point you have often made.

I saw the ENT again yesterday and had allergy tests which were all negative. He looked at my turbinates again after four days of saline rinses and Rhinocort. There was no shrinkage, no mucous and no inflammation.

I will stay on the rinses/steroid spray for a total of four weeks before the final decision on surgery is made. The steroid spray sometimes shrinks turbinates by treating inflammation and/or systemically treating allergies. Since I have no turbinate inflammation and no allergies, it is very unlikely that the treatment will shrink my turbinates. I am beginning to prepare my calendar and psyche for surgery. .

[roster]

[quote="sleepngo"]Two years ago I had the nasal surgery done, which included shrinking the Turbinates, removing three large nasal polyps, straightening the septum and drilling extra holes in the nasal cavities to allow for better drainage. Prior to having surgery my nose was congested 24/7, had severe sinus infections and a common cold that would normally last a couple of days, would last for weeks, all gone, my pressure was 12 then, now 10 and best of all I can breath through my nose. when I sleep on my side my pressure can drop to 5cm. For me it was a no brainer and I was back on my Cpap machine in three weeks, using a CC nasal mask. Would I do it again, in a heart beat. Oh yes I haven't had a sinus infection or a cold in over two years sense having the nasal surgery.

Dan

Almost forgot, you might want to take a look at this site before seeing your ENT, so you can discuss ramification of Turbinates reduction:
http://emptynosesyndrome.org/ens.html

[jmps]

I also had this done a few months ago and am really happy with the results. I used to wake up congested every day. The surgeon said that she can't understand how people can suffer so long with these issues. For me, I just never knew that anything could be done.

[roster]

I also had this done a few months ago and am really happy with the results. I used to wake up congested every day. The surgeon said that she can't understand how people can suffer so long with these issues. For me, I just never knew that anything could be done.

What was the recovery like?