Anyone here had a septoplasty? (poll included)

[blakepro]

I'm considering getting a septoplasty due to narrow nasal passages. I have a friend that got it done recently and he is very positive about it. Very happy he did it.

I'm considering it myself, but I'm wondering if any of you have had it done and how it impacted your apnea. I am not expecting this to cure my apnea, I'm more looking forward to just being able to breathe better.

I'm particularly worried about apnea treatment WHILE recovering from such a procedure.

Anyway, please if you have a moment, share your thoughts on it. I appreciate any thoughts on the matter.

[SleepingUgly]

I just had one 6 days ago, so I don't know the outcome yet for me.

[blakepro]

I just had one 6 days ago, so I don't know the outcome yet for me.

Were you able to use c-pap following the surgery? or do you have to wait to heal first? How has the recovery been so far for you?

[sunnyway]

I had one in in 1995. My only regret was that I waited so long. Best thing I ever did for myself since quitting smoking in 1985. The surgery was a piece of cake. I returned to work two days after surgery, albeit wearing a moustache bandage with splints in my nose. The worst part was the packing after surgery and the splints, which I was certain extended through the back of my head. However, they were tolerable and removal a week after surgery was shear bliss. Breathing was so much better after the surgery.

Septoplasty and turbanate reduction surgery videos are posted on YouTube now. Fascinating!

[SleepingUgly]

I just had one 6 days ago, so I don't know the outcome yet for me.

Were you able to use c-pap following the surgery? or do you have to wait to heal first? How has the recovery been so far for you?

I had: septoplasty, turbinate reduction, tonsillectomy, and pharyngoplasty. She didn't want me to use CPAP for at least a week if I could avoid it (and I don't desaturate typically, so it's not a health risk for me to not to use it temporarily--although who knows what was going on this week with all the swelling). My surgeon doesn't use packing, which is supposed to be very painful. She didn't know if she'd have to splint my nose, but she managed to do it without having to splint. The only hard part about that part of the procedure was that I couldn't blow my nose. But if I hadn't had the throat surgery, it would have been no worse than a cold, and probably better than a bad cold. I actually could breathe a bit the first day or two, but then got more congested. In short, had I not had the throat surgery, the way she did the nose surgery would have been a piece of cake. But again, if your doctor has to splint, or if he practices the archaic packing technique, I understand it can be more painful.

I'm assuming that if you had to use CPAP after the surgery, you would have to use a FFM, as you probably wouldn't be able to breathe well enough out of your nose. They did want me to bring the CPAP to the hospital, just in case, so it is possible to use it. I don't know if she didn't want me to use it because of my throat, my nose, or both.

[sleepycarol]

I had one in 1990. I am sure things have changed since then as far as techniques go.

If I had it to do over I would NOT have this procedure done. Granted I can breathe better, but the pain afterwards was the worse I have experienced. I went in for "out patient" surgery and ended up in the hospital for several days. I had packing and it was very painful when it was removed. It took forever for me to heal and the scabs were terrible, not a pleasant thing having them go down the back of your throat which lasted several weeks. My allergies actually got worse as a result of the surgery. My left side was almost completely blocked and so when the surgery opened it up it allowed more allergens in.

I am probably the exception to the surgery as I know others that have had it with great success and a co-worker was actually back to work the next day and said it was the best thing he ever had done.

[LSAT]

I had mine in mid May.....no pain whatsoever. I could not use CPAP for 7 days, but I cheated and started after 5 days.
it made no difference in my OSA. The real reason for my surgery was the removal of nasal polyps. I never knew that I had a deviated septum until I saw the CT.

[cflame1]

I was supposed to have had one in December... it didn't go well with the intubation and the procedure was scrubbed. Was supposed to have been a septoplasty and turbinoplasty.

On the other hand I can speak highly of a turbinoplasty... had that done later in the doc's office. Doc says that I'm doing well enough to not bother with the septoplasty at this time.

[mgrunk]

I didn't have septoplasty - but did have all my sinus openings opened and turbinates reduced. Packing is rarely used and I would avoid a surgeon who still uses it. Splints don't have to be used very often now either. The pain was pretty minimal - felt like a moderate sinus headache and that someone had punched me in the nose - so that didn't hurt unless I felt around on my nose. I took darvoset for 2 days and that was it. The nasal surgery has been radically improved since the 90's.

I couldn't use the nasal pillows - it was just too much air being blown directly back in my sinuses. I am tolerating a nasal mask much better - but I just started cpap right after surgery.

I was radically compliant w/ nasal rinses - I use a water pic w/ a special nasal adapter. But, I have terrible allergies have had severe sinus issues forever. So, the debridement after surgery was very minimal - and even that is much less painful.

[blakepro]

Very helpful responses so far. Thanks to everyone that has responded so far. Please keep the comments coming.

@SleepingUgly: Whoa! Sounds like you had quite a bit done! Yeah, seems to make sense that they may not want pressurized air blowing in there right away. I do have a backup FFM but I have the hardest time breathing though my mouth for some reason. Really prefer my nasal mask.

@SleepyCarol: So, because of the pain of healing, you don't think it was worth it? If it had been less painful and you were only comparing the difference from before and after completely healing, would you feel like it was worth it?

@mgrunk: So, were you using c-pap before the surgery? or was it a new thing all together for you post-surgery? Seems like I have read of a few people that have trouble with air passing too freely through their nose after having things opened up. Is that kind of how it was for you? Do you use a humidifier on your cpap?


Does anyone have any opinions or thoughts on side effects of doing this? Are there any big risks involved?

[Sharon1225]

I had one about ten years ago. That was before I even had a CPAC. I also had my adenoids out and the inside of my throat thinned. I don't think it helped. I had to get a CPAC machine.

[sleepycarol]

At the time I was having daily migraines. Nothing seemed to touch them and my primary care doctor felt that they were due to allergies and so sent me to our local university hospital to be tested. At times the headaches would even come in clusters and I would no sooner get rid of one than another would come on. I was tested for allergies and was found to be highly allergic to many inhaled allergies such as mold, trees (almost all), grasses and hays, chemicals, etc. At the time when the doctor was checking my sinuses for issues they did a CT scan and the doctors felt that maybe the deviated septum was part of the reason for the headaches. I don't ever remember being able to breathe in or out on my left side and just it for granted everyone else breathed much the same way.

It was decided that it would be corrected along with the sinus work. Remember this was in 1990 and procedures have changed alot since. The surgery, for me, was not a piece of cake. It took a long time to heal (at least I wasn't dealing with being on cpap at the time so I have not input on that aspect). My allergies were way worse after the surgery, including the migraines. Since it was a teaching hospital I know they did studies on me afterwards for a couple of years to track progress, etc.

I wouldn't want to repeat that procedure for anything due to the pain, allergy issues, migraines, etc. I can breathe out both sides of my nose now, but what you don't know you won't miss (my opinion) so no I wouldn't do it again.

[Ughmahedhurtz]

I had a septoplasty and turbinade reduction operation about 2 years ago. Recovery was a little annoying (always been sensitive to nose irritation) but no real problems with recovery. I had it done on Thursday and took friday off, so I went in Sunday to have the packing and other lovely stuff removed. Hardest part was adjusting to the feel of air in my sinuses and on the back of my throat again.

[frh]

This subject scares the heck out of me. For many years I have believed my airways were severely restricted. Nasal congestion pretty much made me a mouth breather as far back as I can remember. My deviated septum wasn't a problem until CPAP. Wearing the Opus 360 mask for about a week caused my left nare/nostril to be so sore it is forcing me to use my Mirage Quattro FFM until it heals.

I have a GP that I trust. He sent me to his favorite ENT guy last week. This new doc didn't seem very impressed with my sinuses, but ordered an MRI. (It's scheduled for Friday morning.) He said he does not want to talk about possible surgery until he sees the MRI results.

My problem with this guy started in his waiting room. It's full of literature promoting the benefits of what looks like stints / balloons inflated in the nasal cavities to open them up. Something about doing it that way just doesn't seem right.

Assuming this doc decides his procedure should be done, should I run like hell and find a doc who does it in a more traditional way?

I almost forgot, our cadillac PPO insurance will be over at the end of July. I don't think I can afford Cobra, so my only opportunity to get it done is this month. Does anyone have advice to offer?

[SleepingUgly]

frh, I don't know what procedure that stint/balloons in the nasal cavity is. It sounds more endoscopic sinus surgery than septoplasty. I had CT Scans, not MRIs, but I assume an MRI will show what you need. Are you saying you will have no insurance at the end of this month? That seems a bit risky to have surgery and then have no coverage. How will you have follow-up appointments and any additional emergency procedures you need?

Assuming this doc decides his procedure should be done, should I run like hell and find a doc who does it in a more traditional way?

I think you need to find out what procedures he thinks you need to have done and then research on the internet his method of doing it, and see what you can find out about him.