BlueMoon

My ENT recommended me having a septoplasty and a Resection of the Inferior Turbinates. I broke my nose a year and a half ago and since have had a couple sinus infections and trouble breathing through my nose.

Anyone ever had this? If so how long were you off from flying? Sicne I fly for a living I want to minimize down time. The doctor said about a week, maybe two at most if I'm feeling really sore and want to wait. What have you guys experienced?

subicpilot

My doc said expect more like 6 weeks down time, only because you won't want to suck mask if you have to, due to the pressure on your nose. You'll be able to breath normally, and the recovery time is supposedly quick, but the cartlage is tender for a few weeks.

BlueMoon

Yea when I broke my nose last year I only took a week off of work and I was still sore for about a month after. Sucking mask was not a pleasant experience, but I could still do it.

rightrudder

I recently had a septoplasty/turbinate reduction and work on my sinuses. I was off work about 6 weeks. Had a lot of inflamation and a post-surgical infection.

The recovery from the surgery is pretty uncomfortable. I had packing removed two days post op and it was the most painful thing i've ever felt in my life (and i've broken my nose 4 times). You will have plastic splints in your nose for about a week and they are quite uncomfortable. Once those come out, things are much better. I also had to go in weekly for 6 weeks for an exam with the scope, had scar tissue borken down and old blood/mucus vacuumed out. The post surgical pain was not bad (I didn't really need the vicodin), but if you have packing, make sure you take as much painkillers as you can before you go in to have it removed (I didn't and regret it).

I can breathe much better now, no more snoring, and hopefully this will reduce the number of sinus infections I get.

BlueMoon

Did they give you an Anti-biotic after the surgery to take? or only after you showed signs of an infection?

Just an update for anyone interested in having something like this.

Had the surgery just a little over 24 hours ago, and I'm working up the stones to pull the packing out in the next couple hours. I have been relatively pain free, just from the packing has been more uncomfortable than painful...I haven't needed the Vicodin they gave me (I took one yesterday just to see if it would help with the pressure of the packing on inside my nose, it didn't really help and I hadn't taken one in like 20 hours.). I go to the doc tomorrow (48 hours post-op) to have a checkup and find out what the plan is from here on out. I slept pretty good to, just slept on the couch propped up.

In preparation for remove the packing, I'm taking your advice and I just took two Vicodin and am definitely feeling the effects of it. No word if I have splints in my nose...didn't get a chance to talk to the doc after the surgery, he did however tell my mom that he earned his cash on this operation as my nose was kinda jacked up from breaking it a year ago.

No problems with the Anesthesia, no "hangover", like I was told to possibly expect. It is pretty weird to just fall asleep and then all of a sudden wake up and it is all over. (This was my first surgery so that struck me as pretty neat)

Other than that I'm going stir crazy on the couch and not being able to go for my morning run. Which I have read could be a couple weeks before I get to do that.

III Corps

Had my nose worked on twice, once with packing and once without. I sincerely hope you had the DOCTOR remove the packing. I am not sure that is one of those self-help things. When I had my packing removed it was like the comic magician who kept pulling out cloth and kept pulling out cloth. Before it was over I thought the guy had packed a garrison flag in my face.

After the second operation only a few years ago, when all the blood and scabs eventually came out, I felt like I was breathing through manhole covers.

Funny thing is the doc said the turbinates were essentially vortex generators spinning the air going through the nose to toss out debris and to allow some heating before entering the lungs. Whodah thought???

BlueMoon

Nope his instructions were for me to pull the packing 24 hours after the surgery. They just kept coming and coming, I asked him how the hell do you get them so far up there!

Moe Rudda

I'm planning on finishing my advanced ratings in a 90 day program starting May 5th. I'd like to get the septoplasy/turbinette reduction taken care of asap, but it looks like my availability will allow March 17th at best. Does 6 weeks sound like a fair amount of recovery time? I figure I'll be in an FTD for several days once I arrive so there should be a few days extra in there too. I'm 29, in decent shape- except for these sinuses.
Has the surgery made a positive difference for you? Do you still get the occasional seasonal/temperature/pressure/allergy/ induced symptoms at some level? What procedure did you have?

BlueMoon

Septoplasty/Turbinate reduction done just about 72 hours ago...saw the doc yesterday and he says things look good, told me to come back in a week.
I can already breathe better than I did before the surgery and with the swelling going down it should get better he said. I wasn't in much pain and only took painkillers ro remove the packing. The Doc said he earned his money on my nose as it was pretty jacked up, lots of redundant growth and such in the nasal cavity.

So far I feel pretty good and am pretty bored vegging on the couch. I'm going to head to the gym and walk around the track for a little bit as I'm forbidden from running and lifting heavy objects till at least after the enxt doctor visit. (the doc orignally estimated no flying for a week, we'll see what he says next week)

BlueMoon

Doctor signed me off for work 10 days after surgery...I have been running 4 miles the past couple days and feel great, my nose runs a lot more now though.