Sinus issues: vent here

I spent a few days in the hospital recently because these headaches became absolutely unbearable, so I finally had to get a CT scan on my head and sinuses. It turns out I have these bony growths—two on each side of the sinuses—and a small cyst near the left one. The bone bits are about 4mm and 8mm, while the cyst is tiny, barely even showing up on the scan. Does anyone here know why those bones would just show up like that? And what are the odds of that cyst actually starting to grow?

I don't think that should be giving you such a massive headache, unless the infection actually managed to break through the sinus wall, but that's just my two cents

They told me the bone issue isn't causing any headaches right now, just something minor they can monitor for the moment. I have to head back for a follow-up in two months to see if there's any growth...

What do you mean by "bones"?... Do you have your actual CT scan results handy to share?
Usually, those sinus headaches happen because some kind of blockage stops everything from draining properly into your nasal cavity, so the pressure just builds up.

Scott Allen10 said:What do you mean "bones"?...

It’s probably just osteoma🤷

I’m wondering if anyone here has actually gone through this kind of surgery—what’s the real deal once you're on the table? I’ve got it scheduled in a few weeks, and honestly, I am terrified! I have clear polyps in both sinuses, and while they don't bother me too much, the constant nasal congestion is driving me crazy. 😠

swiftangler12 said:I was wondering if anyone else has gone through this kind of surgery and what the experience is actually like? I’m scheduled for one in a few weeks and honestly, I’m terrified. I have cysts in both sinuses; they don't bother me too much, except for the fact that my nose feels constantly stuffed up. :mad:

Hey there!

I had surgery on my left maxillary sinus—the one right under the eye.
Basically, I had these polyps that had grown into the cartilage, if I recall correctly. Just like you, the left side of my nose was always blocked. During the winter, it would get filled with junk and felt really gross.

First, I spent about a week at the hospital doing pre-op tests and breathing treatments.
Then, the big day finally arrived. :)
The whole thing was done under full anesthesia, and man, I woke up feeling pretty wrecked.

I can't say how it will be for you specifically, but here are a few details to help ease your mind...

- They made an incision between the gum line and the inside of the lip (right by the nose, internally). You end up with some stitches inside, which is a bit awkward, and that part of your face feels strangely stiff for a while.
- During the procedure, they packed the sinus with what felt like half a meter to a meter of gauze to soak up the blood (or so it seemed!). It’s a bit unpleasant when they pull that packing out through your nose once it’s soaked up enough blood and starts to feel a bit crusty—it’s a weird sensation. But hey, it passes. They just pull it out and everything is fine. In my case, they removed it a couple of days later without any issues.
- They had to scrape some of the cartilage because my polyps had embedded themselves in it. I'm not sure if yours will require that.

The silver lining is that after the surgery, you feel reborn. It’s like your head suddenly weighs ten pounds less because all that congestion and those chronic issues are just gone.

In short, don't let the fear get to you. The surgery itself is a bit rough, and you'll feel pretty out of it afterward, but you're going to be fine. I once had a sinus puncture done under local anesthesia, and *that* was actually terrifying. :)

I'm just giving you my layman's perspective here. If there's an ENT specialist on the board, please feel free to jump in with more technical details.

Hang in there, you'll do great! The most important thing is that you'll feel so much better once it's over.
Best regards!

Wow, didn't expect such a lightning-fast reply 😁
Thanks for the deep dive and all the details, but honestly, I feel like I’m just going to breeze right through this. It’s probably not even going to knock me out completely, which is actually what scares me most—I’m terrified of the local anesthesia part! I’d much rather just be fully under so I don't have to know a single thing about what's happening 😉
So, how many days did you end up spending at the hospital? And how long are you supposed to be laying around at home recovering?

swiftangler12 said:I didn't expect such a quick reply! :D
Thanks so much for the detailed breakdown. Honestly, though, I think I might just go under. I’m worried that if they use local anesthesia, I won't be able to sleep through it—that's actually my biggest fear! I'd much rather just be knocked out so I don't have to know what's happening. :mig:
How many days did you end up staying in the hospital? And how long do you usually need to rest at home?

I suspect they're going to perform a puncture on you.
They did that for me once. Here is how it went... :))

They insert something into your nose, kind of like a Q-tip soaked in anesthetic, which numbs the nerves.
Then, they use something similar to a sharp rubber tube to clear out the sinus.

Recovery is pretty much instant from that part; you just feel a little lightheaded and have some soreness inside your nose.

So you're saying it’s not that bad? How long have those nasal tubes been stuck in your nose? Because when I had mine, the doctors told me it would only be a few days 🤷

swiftangler12 said:So it’s not actually that bad? How long do those nasal tubes stay in? I was told mine would only be for a couple of days... idk

In my case, it lasted just until my sinuses cleared out—maybe ten minutes tops.
But honestly, everyone reacts differently, and I don't want to give you the wrong idea..

It really isn't scary! Once you feel that air finally circulating through your nasal passages again, it's such a relief. Don't worry too much! ;)

That’s exactly why I’m doing all this!! I just need some damn breathing room for once!!! 🤣
Look, I honestly don't have a clue about any of this... and let me tell you, everything you find online is absolute garbage! Seriously, thank you for taking the time to break it down for me so I could actually make sense of it 👍

So my stepdad had his cyst surgery this past Wednesday. Turns out it was bigger than expected, so they ended up clearing out his sinuses too because of some inflammation. He had to go under general anesthesia for the whole thing. By Thursday morning, he was already begging for 😁, which is pretty typical. The surgery went fine, though he’s definitely looking a bit swollen. They pulled his drains today, and he's managing to eat soft foods—not using a straw like the nurses tried to scare him into doing. He'll probably be discharged

There was another guy in his room who had a smaller, lower cyst taken out under local anesthesia on Tuesday, and he actually got to head home yesterday