Sinus conditions and deviated septum. Anybody get it fixed?

Just wondering if any of you have had the surgery and did it help. My problem is frequent sinus infections and constant use of decongestantants and saline.
My ear and throat dock retired and moved to Florida but he was of the opinon the surgery to straighten out the deviated side might help. The last several dives I had tremendous pain above my eye. I also had a very painful airline flight this weekend and wasn't even diving. Conditions seems to be getting worse. Anyway just hoping some fellow divers might be able to shed some light! If you had the surgery what was the recovery time until you could dive again? Did it help in the long haul?
Cheers

I had surgery on my sinuses about 5-6 yrs ago. I had the deviated septum straightened and some of the anterior turbinate tissue (folds of tissue that helps warm the incoming air)cut out from my nasal cavity. I used to get frequent severe headaches, congestion, infections and so forth. Since the surgery the symptoms have lessened considerably. Instead of suffering severe headaches 2-3 times a month, it is now only 2-3 a year. I just started diving this last Sept. and as of yet have had no problems. Since your ENT had retired, I would try to find another reputable ENT. Try to use the recommendations of your primary care doctor or another trusted doctor. Even though the surgery helped me, it is not to say it will help everyone. Everyone is different & every case is different. Make sure the ENT you choose does a thorough study of your case before presenting you with the options. When you do get the options available to you, weigh them out carefully for the risks and possible complications &/or side effects that may accompany the treatment you & your doctor choose. If you don't like what the ENT has for you, you can always get a second opinion. I probably didn't tell you anything you didn't already know, but that's my 2 cents worth.

I decided to get my septum fixed. I can now breathe without my mouth open, what a joy And my snoring has subsided considerably. I was hoping that as I'm now breathing from my nose that my eustacian tube openings at the back of the throat would be less irritated (due to not mouth breathing causing dryness) but I'm not so sure. I had the surgery in Oct. 2005 and did pretty good on recovery. I didn't have to get "packed" with gauze, just a gauze "moustache" (eye patch) under the nose for a week. The first several says are pretty nasty, lots of oozing. And you have to open your mouth if you have to sneeze, to keep the pressures down. That can be pretty nasty. But I looked pretty good a week out. You're looking at maybe 3 months to heal up. My nose was VERY sensitive for a month or more. 2nd month was better, sensitivity subsided. Of course I still got an ear infection in Dec. (always the right ear) and I had a cold now for weeks and my right ear feels like it's accumulating fluid AGAIN........
Sounds like the pain above your eye is sinus for sure. Don't dive with any congestion. I pushed through a cold once on a trip and it was STUPID. Sinus and ear squeeze.
There is some talk (even on DAN's site) that fixing a deviated septum can help with equalization, not sure exactly how though. I haven't been diving since my surgery so I can't tell if it'll make any difference in that respect just yet.

I've heard horror stories of others surgeries so ask questions and decide if it's worth the risk. It was for me. Like night and day. I didn't realize just how bad the flow was on my right side until he opened it up.

I had sinus surgery last year. Straightened septum, removed part of turbinate and removed polyps.

Prior to surgery I had trouble equalizing my left maxillary. It always seemed to clear when SCUBA diving, but took several attempts to get there. When snorkeling it was the real problem as you are descending faster and cannot afford to stop and continue to try to get it to clear.

I never had any sinus issues above the water. I have snorkeled all my life, and the equalizing issue started to happen occaisionally, then increased in frequency. I had a CT scan done and it revealed a large polyp, a deviated speptum and an infection that I didn't even notice. I had surgery done and equalizing is quite easy once again.

MNJoe

I had septoplasty, turbinate reduction, and enlargement of the openings of the frontal and ethmoid sinuses about 8 months ago. I used to get bad sinus infections several times a year and I haven't had a big one since the surgery. My allergies are much better too, although it didn't clear them up completely.

Luckily, I never had any problems equalizing despite having bad sinuses.

The recovery time for me was about 6 weeks, and the first 4 were ROUGH. Lots of bleeding, rinsing, draining, and other disgusting details. It was worth it so far though. I recommend that you consult with another ENT and make sure they do a full CAT scan before prescribing surgery. I friend of mine had sinus surgery without having the CAT scan first, and during the surgery the Dr. discovered some bone spurs and blockages that required additional work - those would have been seen in the scan.

Good luck!