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Post by shanniebananie on May 12, 2022 20:37:51 GMT
Update:
Surgery went very well. He definitely needed it and I am sorry we didn't do it sooner. He doesn't have any packing in his nose, but instead has stents that will come out in about a week. He does have the gauze bandage below his nose to catch his drainage. Practically no pain though he did take a pain pill before bed just to insure good sleep but nothing else. He needs to irrigate with saline solution a few times a day. Really, it is going much better than I expected and I am happy we did it.
Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences.
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My 19 year old son is having surgery tomorrow to correct his deviated septum (not rhinoplasty.) We are expecting a straight forward recovery based on info from the doctor, but was wondering if there are any tips/tricks to help him heal as quickly as possible.
For those who have experienced this surgery, how did your recovery go?
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peabay
Prolific Pea
Posts: 9,605
Jun 25, 2014 19:50:41 GMT
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Post by peabay on May 12, 2022 20:40:21 GMT
Would love to hear this because I have a double deviated septum and I'm curious about the surgery and how he's feeling.
Good luck to him! Hope he feels better soon!
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Post by JustCallMeMommy on May 12, 2022 20:45:28 GMT
I had my tonsils out at the same time, when I was just a little older than him. The tonsils were by far the harder immediate recovery. The deviated septum left me sore to things like glasses sitting on my nose for a month or so.
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Post by Spongemom Scrappants on May 12, 2022 20:50:09 GMT
I had it a million years ago (I was in college) and thought it was awful. But I had my ears pinned back at the same time since my ENT also did cosmetic surgery. Maybe it was having both that was bad. I do remember vividly when they pulled the packing from my nose. He pulled and pulled as if it went all the way to my toes. And it had a weird smell that stayed as a phantom smell with me for years.
One of my sons had surgery for a smashed nose - he was doing a flip and slammed nose first into the metal rim of a neighbor’s trampoline that he wasn’t supposed to be on anyway. He was in the third grade. He breezed right through it. The day after his surgery was thanksgiving. He got up and ate pancakes and then had a full feast later that day.
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scrappinwithoutpeas
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,903 
Location: Northern Virginia
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Post by scrappinwithoutpeas on May 12, 2022 21:13:55 GMT
I had sinus surgery a few years ago, which I'm told has a similar recovery to the deviated septum surgery. Here are my tips, YMMV. Good luck to your son!
There will be lots of swelling the first few days -- keep ice packs on as often as recommended by the doctor. Try to stay ahead of the pain the first day or two (i.e., pain meds round the clock or as needed), then gradually lengthen the time between dosages. If he's being given an opioid at first, you'll want to start replacing that with tylenol (or whatever non-narcotic his doc OKs) as soon as he can tolerate it. Again, lengthen the time between doses, and gradually replace each opioid/narcotic dose with NSAID (motrin, aleve)/tylenol/other pain reliever recommended by doctor. Soft foods for 3-5 days, maybe up to a week. First 24 hours: change dressings (gauze packing - yeah it's pretty gross) as often as needed or recommended by doctor. Once healed enough to start saline rinse, be very gentle but do it religiously, as often as prescribed - it actually helps.
And when they tell him to avoid bumps to the head/face/nose, jumping up and down, bending over, or putting his head upside down -- tell him to listen to them, they know what they're talking about! He can start bleeding again, have nasal discharge (don't ask!! and please don't google it, LOL) or set off a chain reaction nosebleed fairly easily even weeks after the surgery is all [seemingly] healed.
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scrapngranny
Pearl Clutcher
Only slightly senile
Posts: 4,763
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Post by scrapngranny on May 12, 2022 22:28:47 GMT
I had it done several years ago. The doctor said I would have minor discomfort after the surgery. Well, it was certainly more than mild in my opinion. It was hell.
I’m sure there have been many advances in the years since I had it done. There was yards of packing and splints sown in my nose, that stayed there about a week or so. The actual day of surgery and the next the blood running down the back of my throat made me nauseous. I was most comfortable sleeping in the recliner. The two black eyes added a nice touch too.
I hope your son sails through it and they have improved how they do the procedure.
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Post by librarylady on May 12, 2022 23:41:59 GMT
Friend told me just yesterday that the saline nasal flushes were the worst part of it.
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Post by lesserknownpea on May 14, 2022 6:13:08 GMT
I hope it is indeed mildly uncomfortable
When I woke from surgery to correct my smashed nose, I was shocked at how painful it was. But worse, was between the packing, and the swelling, it was insanely uncomfortable. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. Even when I breathed through my mouth, I did it carefully because it felt wrong.
Prepare for a lot of discharge. And be patient with his healing time wise.
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Post by peasapie on May 14, 2022 10:12:06 GMT
My husband just had this surgery six months ago. People had told us that the packing was the worst part of it, but his doctor did it a newer way where there was no interior packing. Instead, he had a sling-like bandage under his nose that he changed a couple of times during the first 48 hours. When he went back after a week, the doctor removed two interior flat pieces that were holding up the nasal walls while he healed. He was very surprised to see them come out of his nose…but it didn’t hurt. Overall, he said if he’d known it would be as easy as it was, he would have done it years ago. (Though maybe it’s easier now.)
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charlatan
Full Member
Posts: 319
Feb 7, 2015 3:53:07 GMT
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Post by charlatan on May 14, 2022 15:40:25 GMT
My recover was very similar to Peasapie's husband - no packing, but instead a somewhat gross bandage situation under my nose for 2-3 days. The pain was not bad at all for me (but I do have a fairly high pain tolerance) after the first day. I also had turbinate reduction but I don't know if that would make any difference in the recovery process.
I found the saline rinse to be difficult but very helpful in the end. I probably wasn't careful enough after the first few days when I was blowing my nose so if I had to do it again I'd be much more tentative about it for a full week or more.
In the end it really wasn't bad, and I wish I had done it years prior. Hopefully once he's healed up your son will appreciate the difference in his breathing ability post-surgery as much as I did.
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Post by Spongemom Scrappants on May 14, 2022 16:49:14 GMT
I just read your update and I'm glad it went well for him. Hope his recovery is quick!
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Post by revirdsuba99 on May 14, 2022 16:54:18 GMT
Glad everything is going well!
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scrappinwithoutpeas
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,903
Location: Northern Virginia
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Post by scrappinwithoutpeas on May 14, 2022 17:36:47 GMT
Glad it went well, and hope his healing is straightforward!
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Deleted
Posts: 0
May 7, 2024 23:45:04 GMT
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Post by Deleted on May 15, 2022 3:34:02 GMT
Glad it went well. Healing hugs to him and hugs to you. (Sounds like surgeries have advanced every decade. It IS incredible!). xo
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