Deviated Septum Fix it or Not?

[freediver]

I had a pituitary tumor removed last May and while they were going through the nose they repaired my deviated septum. Or so it was thought. The septum cartilage has some memory recall so it isn't guaranteed that it will remain "undeviated" (is that a word?). However, I do feel that equalization is somewhat easier now even though i still have a deviation. No other problems associated with it.

 

[mempilot]

so i guess tylenol CF will cure the common DS then

 

[jfoutz]

Hi,

I was at the ENT a few weeks ago for a hearing test related to tinitus from my military days.

He took a look up my nose asked me who wonked me a good one. He sad it was a crooked in there and that if I wanted it fixed he could do it.

Question is, should I do it? I have had no sinus infections like most who have posted on this subject. Only issue is I snore a lot and the only way to equalize that works for me is valsalva.

So, would the surgery help with the equalization?

Brian

First off, a septoplasty is VERY unlikely to help even a little bit with equalization.

That being said, there’s a legitimate place for the operation as an overall quality of life issue. It will help you breath better, can reduce snoring, and can make colds and allergies less miserable because of better drainage. The better drainage can also reduce your susceptibility to sinusitis.

But, ask yourself a few questions before you decide to go through with it. For some people, this operation does not involve a tremendous amount of pain but for others the recovery can be absolutely excruciating. Part of this will depend on just how much reconstruction needs to be done as well as how far up the reconstruction goes. Are you willing to endure a potentially very painful recovery in order to get what may be a mild improvement in your quality of life? There’s also a minimal risk of a serious infection after the operation as there can be some pretty nasty bacteria living in your nose – is this risk acceptable? Also, a typical septoplasty can run between $2000 and $4000. Even if your health insurance carrier is willing to pay, is it worth the cost?

I personally had a fairly major septoplasty about four years ago. For about three days while the post-surgical splints were in place, I had the most horrible, miserable, excruciated pain that I have ever experienced. I’ve had a couple of other surgeries that were very mild compared to the septoplasty as far as pain is concerned. Once the splints were removed however, the pain was only moderate. My father had a septoplasty about two years ago, and he had only in moderate pain from it. I guess a lot of it just depends on what needs to be done.

For people who really need this operation, it can be a dramatic quality of life improvement. But please weigh the risks and benefits carefully. If your septum is only a little deviated, it might be a fairly painless ordeal, but you’ll probably only get a little bit of benefit out of it. But as long as you can freely move air through both nostrils, it isn’t going to help with equalization.

 

[Quarrior]

Thanks for all the input. I guess since I don't "need" the sugery and there will be no benefit to my diving, I'll pass on it. I really didn't want it anyway, just wanted to know if it would benefit me and the answer is no.

 

[sprange]

This is easier than getting a tooth pulled, and much less painful./QUOTE]

Actually I beg to differ...having extracted over 60 teeth in the last month alone (well 22 from one patient). That aside, I'm opting for this procedure (septoplasty, not extractions) as I have the same problem. I've always have difficulty breathing through my nose (not always the same nostril which is a good sign), so I certainly feel that it is worth the risk. Anyway it's free (for now), so I might as well reclaim some of my tax dollars.

Sean P

 

[freediver]

Thanks for all the input. I guess since I don't "need" the sugery and there will be no benefit to my diving, I'll pass on it. I really didn't want it anyway, just wanted to know if it would benefit me and the answer is no.

Hey Quarrior, wouldn't you know I wrote a song about it! Like to hear it, here it goes:

One day while sitting
at his computer station
Quarrior says to himself
"I think I have a deviation".
Unsure what to do,
he decides to seek advice
Some say that it's too risky,
others say it would be nice.
He decides to have it done
It appears to go quite well
Until the pain arrives and
his nose begins to swell.
The torture's finally over
now he can start relaxin'
but the weirdest thing of all?
he now looks like Michael Jackson!

Sorry Quarrior, I'll do better next time.

 

[Quarrior]

I usually like your songs, but I have to say, that one really missed this time.

Hey Quarrior, wouldn't you know I wrote a song about it! Like to hear it, here it goes:

One day while sitting
at his computer station
Quarrior says to himself
"I think I have a deviation".
Unsure what to do,
he decides to seek advice
Some say that it's too risky,
others say it would be nice.
He decides to have it done
It appears to go quite well
Until the pain arrives and
his nose begins to swell.
The torture's finally over
now he can start relaxin'
but the weirdest thing of all?
he now looks like Michael Jackson!

Sorry Quarrior, I'll do better next time.

 

[mempilot]

This is easier than getting a tooth pulled, and much less painful./QUOTE]

Actually I beg to differ...having extracted over 60 teeth in the last month alone (well 22 from one patient). That aside, I'm opting for this procedure (septoplasty, not extractions) as I have the same problem. I've always have difficulty breathing through my nose (not always the same nostril which is a good sign), so I certainly feel that it is worth the risk. Anyway it's free (for now), so I might as well reclaim some of my tax dollars.

Sean P

This past summer, I had an emergency root canel (failed) followed by an extraction. The pain associated with that ordeal and the discomfort that followed were much greater than when I had my septoplasty.

So I'll beg to differ. But I'm sure each of us have our own threshold for pain, even if we are the one inflicting it.

 

[crpntr133]

I had a deviated septum and had the surgery. I found out that this was causing me problem when I TRIED to dive. As long as I was 10 or better I was ok. The surgery literally changed my life. I sleep with my mouth closed (dentist loves me), don't snore(GF loves me) and best of all I CAN EQUALIZE..just by swallowing ( I love my ENT).

Little pain and was well worth everything. I wouldn't say no to it.

 

[knotical]

As you’ve seen from the responses so far, every case is different. My experience was:
- it reduced the number of “colds” I get,
- it reduced the volume of my snoring (which my wife appreciates),
- my post-operative experiences were somewhere between the extremes mentioned by others,
- but it didn’t help much with my equalization difficulties (maybe a little).

I’ve heard from OR nurses that it’s less often the surgery that kills you than it is the anesthesia. I therefore shopped around a lot for my anesthesiologist.

On balance, I’m glad I had the procedure.

You might want to work more on different equalization techniques. I use several, and none work all the time. My most frequently effective technique is the jaw thrust. There are several threads on equalization techniques.