4 posts shown.
Betty Edwards22 said:You’re hitting the nail on the head with your conclusions—based strictly on what was written, the current state of your nose doesn't necessarily scream "surgery needed." However, everything really needs to be evaluated during an actual exam. These days, X-rays are pretty much useless for evaluating paranasal sinuses; they're being phased out for a reason. A CT scan is way more informative.
My sinus issues are glaringly obvious whenever I’m being active, like when I'm out running. I hit this wall where I just can't push through because my passages are completely blocked. I've basically dedicated my life to sports, so this isn't just some minor annoyance—it's huge for me. I can't train at the level I want to, or even reach the respiratory baseline I should have if my airways were actually healthy. That's why I feel like surgery is the only way. Of course, the doctor gets the final say, though I'll definitely seek a second opinion if I run into a dead end here. On top of that, breathing is a struggle at night; my sleep is trash because I'm sleeping with my mouth open. Ever since getting the scans and the exam, I've become hyper-aware of how stuffed up I actually am. This kind of thing ruins anyone's quality of life, which should be enough justification for the procedure. I honestly don't know what specific criteria doctors use to greenlight surgeries, or if those standards stay the same from one hospital to the next.
Contrary to your
layman's view, corticosteroid sprays are actually great—when prescribed for intranasal use, they have minimal systemic absorption.
I'm not a fan of anything "steroid" based, even if it's medication. All things considered, surgery sounds like a much better option to me than long-term drug therapy. I've spent the last decade loading up on them, and now I try to avoid them as much as possible.
Laura James11 said:Hi there,
I had my surgery a month ago and I’m breathing better than ever. 👍
My nose is still pretty swollen since they used the open technique, plus I have thick, oily skin 🙂. I've noticed the swelling fluctuates from day to day. Starting today (exactly one month out), I think a slight bump has appeared right where the doctor filed the bone (where the fracture was), but it's minor and doesn't bother me too much. On the other hand, what *is* bothering me is the obvious asymmetry between my nostrils—one looks normal, while the other looks pinched (kind of like Severin's nostrils) 🤣. Also, on that same side inside the nose (near the tip), I have a small protrusion. During my last checkup, my doctor couldn't tell me what it was, which has me worried. Does anyone have any ideas? He only checked if it was just the stitch, but it turns out it isn't. 🤷
They also did some work on the nasal stability. At first, it bothered me because I thought I’d end up with a pig nose, but now it feels like my columella is drooping somehow; it wasn't below the level of my nostrils before. 😢
I've been trying not to overanalyze everything since it's still so early, and I can see things are improving, but I just want answers to a few things to ease my mind. It's hard waiting another 20 days for my next follow-up. 😳
What was the diagnosis before the surgery? I'm asking because I want to know the bare minimum requirements you need to meet to qualify for the procedure.
Thanks for the replies. Here’s an update: The CT scan shows chronic changes, specifically thickening of the maxillary sinus mucosa, hypoplasia of the frontal sinus... there's more to it. It doesn't say anything about the nasal septum. Is that the part that separates the turbinates? If memory serves, mine is crooked—shaped like an "S." I was handed another round of Avamys, even though I used it years ago. Honestly, if you ask me, I'd rather skip this medication entirely. From what I can tell, it's a corticosteroid with contraindications, and so far, all I've felt is facial itching and visible redness. I don't like it, and it definitely doesn't give me any peace of mind.
Like I said before, I haven't felt like myself—physically or mentally—for a long damn time. I play sports recreationally, so I'm fully aware of my lung issues and allergies, but despite everything I know and all the treatments, I can't seem to make any real progress toward saying, "Alright, I'm healthy." Back in college, my physiology professor even pointed out that I talk through my nose. I go in for checkups, but it's always the same old story because they just keep running the same tests on my lungs and allergies. It wasn't until I finally got back to New York City that I actually saw an ORL. It feels like I'm finally on the right track, though. Ideally, I’d just jump straight into surgery (an endoscopy 🙂 ) and be done with this whole mess. But here's the catch: doctors say my condition isn't "bad enough" for surgery (or maybe it is?), so they just keep pushing more meds on me. I don't know anymore; I just want this over with.
Hey everyone. Since June, I’ve been bouncing between hospitals—Rockefeller, Mount Sinai, and so on—dealing with breathing issues. The diagnosis is allergic rhinitis combined with allergic asthma. I finally saw an ENT who sent me for a CT scan of my paranasal sinuses. The images show polypoid mucosal thickening in the right maxillary sinus up to 1 cm near the roof, and about 0.8 cm at the base of the left one. There's also hypoplasia of the right frontal sinus, though both remain clear. My doctor is putting me back on Avamys—a corticosteroid therapy I used a while back, but it didn't do squat. Breathing is a struggle, and since I'm an athlete, this is killing me. My sleep is a total disaster and I'm dead tired during the day. This mess has been following me for over 15 years. I’m convinced this mucosal thickening and these nasal polyps are primarily triggered by allergens—pine, dust, ragweed, etc. My body reacts with asthma while my nose just runs constantly. For me, these allergens are basically chemical weapons. I've been dealing with this for ages, but I finally know what's going on. I believe I can turn things around if I start with nasal surgery. I know my triggers, I have allergy meds for the season, and I know what to avoid, but I want to get the surgery done because, frankly, I can't live like this anymore. Who do you recommend for the procedure? What are people's experiences like after surgery, and what methods are typically used? THANKS!