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Is Sinus Surgery Right for Me?

Is Sinus Surgery Right for Me?

What is a sinus surgery?

Sinus surgery has evolved ever since the days when external incisions were performed; the incisions involved surgical cuts in the mouth with extensive nasal packing which required a gauze to control bleeding.

Advances in technology have led to sinus surgery being performed through the nose without any form of mouth incisions or face incisions. Nowadays, a nasal endoscope is used to perform the treatment.

This device is placed into the nostril; it has several advantages that make it an ideal treatment device. The nasal endoscope has a special video camera that allows for the surgeon to observe inside the nasal cavity to what is going on. The endoscope is metal in nature and it provides a much more mild pain that has very short recovery pains.

Why is sinus surgery performed?

Chronic rhinosinusitis is the most common reason for endoscopic sinus surgery to be performed. The term chronic rhinosinusitis is a term that is used to describe an inflammation that is found in the nose or sinuses that does not improve significantly after medical treatment.

The term chronic is used to identify an inflammation that sticks in the sinuses and the nose and stays for at least six months. The inflammation may be caused by several things like allergies, nasal polyps e.t.c.

On the other hand, some of the less common reasons to have sinus surgery include sinus infections that spread to the brain, face or the eyes, recurrent infections, nasal tumors & sinus cavities, impaired sense of smell, leaking fluid that is in the nose and blockage of the tear duct.

Treatments that need to be tried before sinus surgery

Before sinus surgery is undertaken, patients need to consult their physicians to understand that there is no other treatment that can be attempted, because there are quite a number of medications that can cure sinuses. Some of the prescriptions are OTC; for instance, acute sinuses which is an infection that lasts for a few weeks can be treated using antibiotics. There are nasal sprays that can also be used together with the antibiotics.

Although nasal sprays like oxymetazoline or pseudoephedrine can be used cure nasal stuffiness, they are only used within three days. But if you use nasal sprays for too long, the nose can get used to the treatment, and the stuffiness can easily get worse. But if you have heartbeat palpitation, heart disease, urinary retention, glaucoma or high blood pressure, consult with your doctor first before using decongestants since they can make your conditions worse.

If a sinus inflammation or infection lasts for more than four weeks and it becomes chronic, you will have to get a different treatment. You may take antibiotics for more than a week. Nasal sprays may also be taken by mouth to decrease inflammation. You may also have a CT scan performed, or a sinus mucus test may be done to check the correct antibiotic to be used.

Choosing the right surgery is important for any surgical treatment. When it comes to sinus infections, surgery is not usually the first choice treatment. But when it happens, then the right surgical procedure can improve the quality of life of a patient. But when do you know that you need to go for a sinus surgery?

Five signs to indicate that sinus surgery is the best option for you

Problems persist while the underlying allergies have been treated. Since allergy attacks can easily mimic sinus infection symptoms, you can be led to believe that you have a sinus infection and not the cunning allergies. Before you decide to go for a surgery, make user that you have consulted your doctor to diagnose the real issue.

When other treatments don’t seem to work: When OTC antibiotics, medicines, home treatments, and natural remedies have not worked after weeks of treatment, it is time to turn for surgery.

If you have sinus or nasal polyps: When you notice some benign growth in the nasal region, the most likely treatment is surgery. Once you start having these suspicious, visit your doctor who will have to perform a scan to determine the status of the sinus polyps.

There is involvement with cancer: Even though it is rare to find para-nasal and nasal sinus cancers, surgery is the best treatment to deal with suspicious growths and tumors.

You have a structural issue: everyone has a different nasal passage. Some are born with systems that are prone to infections of sinuses. Additionally, due to some injuries, the body can develop other issues that may require the attention of a doctor.

Benefits of sinus surgery

The purpose of sinus surgery is to improve the sinuses drainage pathway. Sinus infections can be reduced by widening the drainage pathway. Patients who have a pathways blockage or obstruction benefit a lot from sinus surgery.

For patients who have mucous membrane disease, they improve after sinus surgery is performed because sinus drainage may be efficient once the sinus opening is widened. One major benefit of sinus surgery is the ability to deliver medications like rinses, sprays and nebulized drugs to the sinus linings after surgery has been performed.

How is recovery after sinus surgery?

The recovery period depends on the patients and the type of surgery performed. Most people don’t have pain after sinus surgery, but if you experience pain, strong medications are prescribed to counter the pain. If there is a postoperative discomfort, drainage or congestion, it will improve after a few days while some mild symptoms stick for some weeks after surgery. Since sinus surgery is just one way of treating sinuses, medications may be used to help treat the condition even further.

Conclusion

For more information regarding the different kinds of sinus surgeries, or if you want to know if you need sinus surgery, book an appointment with us by calling Dr. Rubinstein at 845-562-6673 or visit our New York clinics that can be found easily through our website. Additionally, you can learn more about our services by visiting our official website.

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