Minor bleeding, pain, congestion, discharge and fatigue are common after the surgery, but should go away in one to three weeks.
You'll have some swelling and tenderness inside your nose after the surgery, but this is normal. You may have symptoms like a severe cold or a sinus infection. This is due to swelling, dry blood, mucus, and crusting in your nose.
Other risks: Other uncommon risks of surgery include alteration of sense of smell or taste; persistence and/or worsening of sinus symptoms and facial pain; change in the resonance or quality of the voice; and swelling or bruising of the area around the eye.
Orbital involvement in endoscopic sinus surgery occurs in 0.5%64 to 3% of all procedures, and represents 16% to 50% of all complications. Most common risks encountered in endoscopic sinus surgery include bleeding, infection, injury to the eye and its adnexa, cerebrospinal fluid leak, anosmia etc.
Most people feel normal in 1 to 2 months.
In general, sinus surgeries aren't serious surgeries with significant complications.
With a 90% success rate since the 1950s, FESS surgery is a safe method to relieve chronic rhinosinusitis. However small, FESS surgery poses possible risks. For example, a chance of infection at the surgery site, bleeding, numbness or swelling.
Prop up your head
You will have to sleep with your head elevated for 24-48 hours after surgery to help the bleeding slow down and help the swelling resolve. Prior to surgery, set up your bed with at least two pillows so you can prop your head up at night.
Relieve fatigue and improve sleep
The difficulty breathing that often impedes sleep and the fatigue and exhaustion that can come both from that sleep difficulty and the general difficulty getting enough oxygen can both be combated by sinus surgery.
Potential Risks
In addition to complications associated with all surgeries, there are several that may occur with sinus surgery specifically, including: Facial numbness (often temporary) Teeth numbness or pain (often temporary) Severe nasal bleeding (sometimes requiring hospitalization)
You may have some pain and bleeding for 2 weeks after surgery. You could have less sense of smell after surgery. Serious but rare risks can include heavy bleeding, meningitis, and brain injury. But these happen in less than 1 out of 100 sinus surgeries.
NASAL CONGESTION : A stuffy nose is normal following sinus/nasal surgery due to swelling of the tissues. This may last up to one (1) week after surgery. Nasal congestion may be alleviated by humidification of the nose with a cool mist vaporizer or humidifier.
Nausea and even vomiting following general anesthesia is not uncommon. As old blood from the sinuses is swallowed, these symptoms may worsen. Nausea and vomiting usually fade after 12-‐ 24 hours. Try to sip liquids to avoid dehydration.
Activity: Minimize your activities with only light activity for the first week following surgery. Listen to your body! If you feel tired over the first few days, you should rest.No nose blowing, stooping, straining or heavy lifting of more than two bags of groceries. Sneeze with your mouth open.
With advancements in technology and techniques, recovery time from sinus surgery has decreased over the past decade. Most patients are able to return to work within a few days, but healing differs with each person for a few reasons, including: Unique anatomy of the nose. Individual recovery speeds.
Most patients with chronic rhinosinusitis and nasal polyps need to keep using nasal medications and rinses after surgery. After nasal polyps are removed, they have a tendency to come back. Polyps return in months or years for about half of patients.
In a recent study, more than 700 patients were surveyed to see what effects the surgery would have on their life and sleep quality. More than 500 patients completed the study and overwhelmingly showed marked improvement in their overall sleep cycles and quality of life.
Sneezing can cause further trauma to the fragile, yet sensitive nose and compromise the procedure's results. If possible, avoid sneezing through your nose for the first week or two during recovery to reduce pressure in your nose and airways to keep the sutures intact and minimize bleeding, swelling, and pain.
Sleep with your head slightly elevated for 2-3 days. No heavy lifting or straining for 7 days. Do not blow your nose or sniff forcefully. Sneeze with your mouth open if possible.
Acute postoperative vision loss is a rare but devastating complication of functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS).
Sinus surgery is generally a very safe successful procedure, resulting in significant improvement in symptoms and quality of life.
Your nose may be sore and will bleed. You may feel "stuffed up" like you have a bad head cold. This will last for several days after surgery. The tip of your nose and your upper lip and gums may be numb.
Each year about 250,000 – 300,000 people have sinus surgery performed to treat nose and sinus complaints.
Try not to sniffle; similar to when you have a cold, this activity should be avoided as it will interfere with healing. Eat soft bland foods such as pasta, soups, yogurt, mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs, etc.