What to expect and do after Septoplasty and/or Turbinate surgery

This procedure is usually done as a day-case, so you can expect to go home on the same day as the surgery, unless communicated otherwise by Dr Van Straten

Expect to wake up with a pad which is worn under the nose. This serves to catch drips of blood and protect your clothing and bedlinen. Mild oozing of the nose for up to 16 hours immediately post sinus / nasal surgery is normal and to be expected. I routinely use blue nasal stents placed in your nasal passages at the end of this operation. This makes breathing through your nose difficult, but it luckily improves after the stents are taken out. The stents are usually removed by yourself the morning after the surgery.

Back home:

• The stents are removed from the nose by pulling on the black strings. Do not be alarmed by bleeding from the nose which last a couple of  minutes. This is normal after removing the stents.
• The main problem following this type of surgery, is the amount of blood clots or crusting in the nose. It is therefore of utmost importance to rinse your nose with saline solution three to four times a day until this settles.
• You are allowed to blow your nose gently.
• The swelling and crusting will cause a temporary worsened nasal obstruction post-operatively. Be encouraged as this will improve over the following couple of weeks. The septum and turbinates are usually healed within 6 weeks of the surgery.

When to call me:

• Bleeding: If there is significant bright red bleeding which does not stop easily.
• Increasing pain.
• A new high fever develops.

Follow up:

You need to be seen again after about a week to remove large crusts from your nose. Please make an appointment.

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