Are you experiencing nasal congestion that makes it difficult to breathe? Have you lost smell, feel nose pain, and have unusual drainage? You are probably developing sinusitis, an infection in your sinuses that causes swelling and inflammation, leading to difficulty breathing. You can find relief with endoscopic sinus surgery, which your sinus and nasal specialist Los Angeles will perform to reduce the severity of sinus infections. Endoscopic surgery is minimally invasive, thus presenting a quicker recovery and few complications. Read on to learn more about treatment with endoscopic sinus surgery.
When Do You Need This Procedure?
Your doctor may recommend endoscopic sinus surgery if you have a chronic sinus infection and inflammation that fails to improve with antibiotics and allergy medications. Sinusitis develops when the tissue lining your sinuses swells and traps mucus that should flow through your sinuses and out through the nose. Trapped mucus may then grow bacteria-causing infections and may also impair your breathing. Additionally, endoscopic sinus surgery can treat nasal polyps.
What Do You Do To Get Ready For Endoscopic Sinus Surgery?
Before surgery, your doctor will ask you to quit smoking at least three weeks before treatment, as smoking can worsen your sinus symptoms. Your doctor will also ask you to avoid aspirin at least ten days before surgery because it may increase your risk of bleeding during and after surgery. Lastly, you may also not eat or drink anything after midnight on the day of your surgery.
How Does Your Doctor Perform This Procedure?
Endoscopic sinus surgery aims to reduce sinus infection severity and improve sinusitis symptoms. As a result, you will have improved airflow through your nose. Your doctor will administer general anesthesia so you can completely relax during surgery. During treatment, your doctor will inject a numbing solution into your nose and then insert an endoscope. Your doctor will use intraoperative CT imaging and computers to allow live imaging and a 3D CAT scan image of the area of the operation area.
Intraoperative guidance will also allow better viewing of the operation area, thus lowering the risks of complications while improving the results of surgery. Additionally, your doctor will insert special instruments through the endoscope to safely remove nasal polyps, scar tissue, and diseased tissue. Surgery can take up to two hours to complete.
What Should You Expect After Sinus Surgery?
After surgery, you will go into a recovery room as your doctor monitors your condition before allowing you to go home. Your doctor will advise you to avoid nose-blowing for at least a week. As you sneeze, a bloody discharge may come out and continue for a few weeks as your sinuses heal. You will also need a break from strenuous activity for at least ten days. Additionally, you may have to rinse your nose with saline.
An obstruction in your airways can be upsetting, making breathing difficult and interfering with your daily activities. Blockages in your sinus can result from nasal polyps, scar tissue, and bacteria which lead to sinus infections. Initially, your treatment will be medications, but you may not respond well and find relief. Your doctor will recommend endoscopic sinus surgery, a minimally invasive procedure to remove polyps and obstructions in your sinus pathways. As a result, you notice improved breathing and quality of life.
