Posts by Jesse Sanchez90

boldnomad45 said:What do you mean by that? Like, a doctor just looks at you and decides if there's a deviation or not?

That’s exactly what I mean—that’s precisely why they perform rhinoscopy and endoscopic exams.
I mean, how else are you going to use a standard X-ray to clearly show a deformity in the cartilage elements?

Megan Sanchez27 said:I'm talking about getting cosmetic surgery at a private practice...

At the end of the day, the surgeon still has to determine if you're actually a candidate for the procedure before they'll even give you an appointment.

boldnomad45 said:But on my scan, they actually saw the deviated septum and already scheduled me for surgery.

If they don't spot a deviation during that first physical exam, I honestly don't know what to tell you.
Getting an imaging study just for that seems totally unnecessary.

boldnomad45 said:Did you end up going to your appointment with those sinus scans?

Honestly, an X-ray for sinuses isn't really worth much—it won't clearly show if there's a deviated septum or anything significant. A CT scan is usually what a specialist will actually order if they need to see what's going on.

There are so many different reasons why someone might be snoring, so it really needs to be looked at from every angle.

Hannah Booth2 said:Hi everyone! I've been doing a bit of digging through this thread. Regarding my breathing, I think my nose is mostly fine—one nostril is just a little more congested than the other since they aren't perfectly symmetrical—but my main issue right now is snoring, and I'm really not sure what's causing it. I already went in for an exam at the Mayo Clinic; my primary care doctor gave me a referral, and the specialists there basically told me that my nasal passages are clear (meaning air flows through just fine). They just gave me some nasal drops and said everything looks okay. However, I'm still snoring and I'm feeling a bit lost. It feels silly to keep cycling through my GP, then back to the Mayo Clinic, only to end up with the same answer. The thing is, I have a bump and my nose is a bit crooked, so it might be better to just fix everything all at once. Since I don't have the budget for a private surgeon right now, I was wondering if it's possible to get this handled at a hospital? Like, can you just call a department and ask for a rhinoplasty to fix both the aesthetics and the breathing, and they'll charge you something like $1667 (just throwing out a number)? It would likely be cheaper than going private. Basically, is it possible to request surgery at a hospital without them being the ones to recommend it first?

What did they actually suggest as a next step? I'm sure they noted a follow-up appointment somewhere.

If you were at the General Clinic, your doctor can actually refer you directly to a specialist ENT clinic.

Megan Sanchez27 said:Can someone please help me out here? If I don't live in the local area and have to travel, can I schedule an operation for, say, three months from now over the phone? Could I then just show up two weeks before the surgery date for my consultation and to go over all my test results? Thanks!

Actually, no—the surgeon is the one who determines if you're actually a candidate for surgery, not the patient.

urbanbadger1 said:If you can, try to stay far away from Dr. Davor Đepine; I've never met anyone more arrogant. He won't actually listen to what you have to say—he'll just kick you out of his office.

Hmm—I'm not quite seeing how my previous post relates to what you just said?

Jeremy Lee67 said:Hey everyone, I know this is a bit of an off-topic question, but I figured it was better to ask here than starting a whole new thread.
Basically, I was playing basketball about two weeks ago and some guy accidentally slammed his hip right into my nose—he pretty much fell on me with his full weight. It hurt like crazy at the time and my eyes were stinging like mad, but since it wasn't hurting much later on, I didn't really think twice about it. Now that some time has passed, I took a look at a photo of myself and noticed my nose looks different, like it's slightly crooked. Is it possible I actually broke it? It doesn't hurt anymore, but when I touch it, I can definitely feel something hard there.

Anything is possible, but honestly, only a doctor can tell you for sure after a proper exam.

That sounds good to me—just keep it up!

rustyfox11 said:Hey everyone! How's it going? 😉

Everything around my nose feels completely foreign to me right now, so I would be incredibly grateful if someone could take a moment to explain things a bit more clearly!
I just had an MRI of my head done, and this is what the report says:
So, I just got my results back regarding that nasal issue I've been dealing with. It turns out there is a pronounced deviated septum where the cartilage is bulging endonasally toward the right side, along with a concha hypertrophy on that same right side. Definitely something to keep an eye on!
The paranasal sinuses look completely clear—everything is ventilating normally and there isn't any pathological buildup or congestion to worry about.
So, I just got some news from the doctor regarding my left side—it turns out I have hypertrophy of the inferior nasal concha on the left. Basically, that turbinate is looking a bit too large.

So, I’ve been seeing some questions popping up about deviated septums and those little bumps—specifically, what exactly does "hyperplastic nasal turbinate" actually mean? Basically, if you're dealing with a deviated septum along with hyperplastic turbinates, it means you've got a two-part breathing issue going on. The deviation is the structural part where the wall between your nostrils is crooked, but the hyperplasia part refers to the turbinates—those small structures inside your nose that help warm and humidify the air you breathe. When they become "hyperplastic," they've essentially swollen or enlarged. Think of it like a hallway that’s too narrow because the walls are crooked (the deviation) AND the furniture is getting too bulky (the hypertrophied turbinates), making it nearly impossible to get any airflow through. It's a super common combo, but definitely frustrating when you're trying to breathe normally!

Most of this is all Greek to me. I only went in for the brain MRI because of those headaches, and honestly, everything there seems fine. But this stuff about my nose... that's actually written right there in the findings.

I’ve always been telling everyone that my nose isn't exactly my best feature—it's got this little bump and kind of veers off to one side. Honestly, everyone kept trying to brush me off, saying, "Oh, you're just being too hard on yourself," but it turns out I was actually right all along!
I don't really have any major issues, but my nose has been running constantly all year round. It’s just a constant drip—even something as simple as eating hot food, going for a walk, or riding my bike can trigger it. On top of that, there's this nagging feeling like it isn't draining properly, even though it feels perfectly fine and normal when it's dry.

Following those test results, I’ve really started thinking seriously about surgery. To be honest, I'm feeling pretty conflicted—I just don't know which surgeon I can actually trust to take care of me.

Thanks, cheers!

In short, that nasal polyp is basically blocking your airway. At the end of the day, how much it actually bothers you is really just a matter of personal experience.
It looks like the nasal turbinate hyperplasia is actually just a compensatory reaction because the volume in the other nasal passage has increased.

So, regarding those nasal drops—it turns out the diagnosis is vasomotor rhinitis. I've been using Atrovent spray for it. It mostly flares up whenever I'm dealing with high stress, physical exertion, or when there's a sudden shift in temperature.

The thing is, local findings can be tricky. An X-ray might show all sorts of things, and there are so many different reasons why breathing could get difficult...

casualbison42 said:Could someone please help me out and explain what this report actually means? It says: "The paranasal sinuses are normally developed and ventilated, showing the paranasal cavities with visibly reduced aeration in both maxillary sinuses. The nasal septum is midline. Edema of the nasal concha mucosa."

Basically, I'm wondering if there's any chance I might be sent in for surgery.🤔

It really depends on what your main symptoms are...🙂

An X-ray can be a pretty subjective thing; the results often depend heavily on the specific imaging settings used.
Based on this report, everything looks fine, except for the fact that your nasal conchae are hypertrophied. Usually, the first step for that would be looking into a radiofrequency submucous reduction (radiofrequency mucomotomy).

redranger82 said:Yeah, the appointment is set for the end of April.

Since you've got your date, now's the time to double-check the exact process for getting that CT scheduled so you don't miss your window. From what I understand about the procedure, I believe you were already put on the list for a hospital CT following your stay. Still...

redranger82 said:Right, when I went in for my exam, the doctor told me I’d be getting my CT scan done right there. But then, after the appointment, when I took my paperwork over to the desk, they told me I might have to wait up to six months and should look into getting an outpatient referral instead.

That six-month wait they mentioned probably referred to the Vinogradski Hospital...

Yeah, that’s why in certain situations—if the surgeon feels it’s clinically necessary—they'll handle it as an in-hospital procedure instead of making you wait for an outside CT scan. There's only a limited number of those types of scans available through that route.

Did they give you a date for the follow-up? They really should have.

redranger82 said:Alright, what about the CT scan? Do I need to schedule that myself? My doctor mentioned I'd be getting it done over at Vinogradski Hospital (though I don't actually live in Chicago).

You might want to double-check that, because based on what you're describing, that wouldn't count as outpatient testing. If they run it after you've been officially admitted to the hospital, then it's considered inpatient testing, and your surgeon will just order it right there on the ward.

Joshua Murphy7 said:I finally went through with my nose surgery last week—fixing the nasal pyramid and the septum after all those sleepless nights and struggles. The result is great in one way: that bump on the right side is totally gone! But here’s the thing: the nostrils look a bit off. One is narrow and kind of ugly, while the other looks pretty much the same as before. It feels like nothing really changed there. Is this normal? Will things settle down eventually? My eyes aren't playing tricks on me, so I'm feeling a little confused and honestly, a bit disappointed. If they were reshaping the whole structure, shouldn't that have fixed the nostrils too? I was at Vinogradski Hospital...

Has anyone else dealt with something similar? Should I just wait a few months for everything to settle into place?

Any help or advice would be appreciated...

Hey there,

That’s definitely something that can be fixed. Usually, surgeons prioritize fixing the function (breathing) first, and then deal with the aesthetics later.
Make sure you bring this up with your surgeon at your next follow-up appointment. Just tell them clearly that the shape bothers you; they can often remodel the nostrils or trim away excess skin to get a better look.

Since you asked, I’ll give you my take from an ENT perspective: ENTs are really the ones who specialize in how the nose actually functions—things like the nasal valve and the space between the turbinates. Now, maxillofacial surgeons definitely know their stuff when it comes to facial trauma, but they don't typically focus on functionality; they aren't really treating nasal or sinus diseases.
Plastic surgeons are probably the furthest thing from that specialty, which doesn't mean they can't get the job done, but they don't usually perform complex, continuous cranial surgeries, nor do they approach nasal pathology from a conservative, medical standpoint.
I haven't had the chance to meet Dr. Milenivić, so I can't say much about him, but Dr. Grgić is incredibly experienced with nasal pathology. He tends to focus more on functional issues regarding the nose and sinuses rather than purely aesthetic work. He's part of that "younger" generation currently stepping up to take the lead.

Ryan Cooper37 said:Everything is totally fine during the day... it's just my sleep that's worrying me.

And honestly, right at the start, you end up sleeping with your mouth wide open—just like a little baby.

Try breathing through your mouth less often, staying super hydrated, and keeping some lip balm or Chapstick handy to protect your lips. The real key, though, is constant hydration—you really want to make sure you don't let your mucous membranes dry out, which is usually what leads to those uncomfortable sensations.

slydriver56 said:Can you actually go through with cosmetic surgery if you have nasal polyps? Or is it better to deal with the polyps first before jumping into the aesthetic stuff?

Technically, you can do whatever you want, but it usually makes much more sense—provided it's actually necessary—to address the polyp issues first to get your breathing back on track, and then tackle the aesthetics afterward. Not everyone even needs surgery for polyps, but prioritizing function over looks is generally the smarter move!