How to Have Sinus Surgery

Acute and chronic sinusitis that doesn't respond to conventional medical treatment requires sinus surgery to correct the problem. A safe and common procedure, sinus surgery removes the blockage in the sinuses to restore normal function. Learn what to expect before you undergo sinus surgery.

Instructions

• 1

  Find an ear, nose and throat specialist (ENT) in your area. Ask friends and family for recommendations or talk to your primary care physician and ask for a referral.

• 2

  Expect the ENT to take a detailed history of your sinus problems, including information such as frequency, duration, suspected cause and past treatments.

• 3

  Know that the ENT uses diagnostic tests to determine the contributing factors responsible for your sinus troubles. Tests include CT scans, blood tests (for a possible allergy) and smell tests. X-rays don't provide a clear picture of the sinus area and are generally avoided.

• 4

  Understand that there are three basic sinus surgery procedures and the surgery chosen for you is based on the cause of the sinus problem. In a functional endoscopic sinus surgery, an endoscope is used to open up the existing sinus passages to drain mucus build up. Once drained, the sinuses return to normal function. This procedure is the most common and has a 90 percent cure rate. Image guided surgery is also an option, reserved for chronic sinusitis sufferers. Using an endoscope and fiber optic tubes, surgeons navigate through the sinus by watching a screen. They use tiny tools placed inside a small incision to open up the sinuses and drain mucus (usually making an incision into the sinus). The third option--and least used--is the Caldwell-Luc procedure. Usually performed on people who have a malignancy, this operation makes an incision in the upper jaw by the molar to reach the sinuses. The surgeon connects the maxillary sinus with the nose by making an incision, thereby causing the impacted mucus to drain out of the nasal cavity.

• 5

  Realize that sinus surgery is generally an outpatient procedure unless complications arise.

• 6

  Recover from sinus surgery at home by resting. Expect to have some packing and a bandage under the nose to catch the light blood that usually follows sinus surgery.