I finally got an appointment with an otolaryngologist last week, I was referred months ago and appointment day rolled around (on my birthday, no less, so I got to celebrate by having a sharp plastic thingy shoved up my nose at 8:30AM). I’ve always had cruddy sinuses and seasonal allergies, so I’ve barely gone a day without sniffling in twenty-odd years, and my right nostril has been getting more and more consistently obstructed. Plus I’m quite prone to sinus infections. So there’s a lot going on up there, none of it good.
One quick scope up the hooter and he says, casual as can be, “You’ve got a deviated septum.” and hands me a photocopied “So you’re going to get septum surgery!” flyer. As if it’s no big deal. He’s also going to schedule a CT scan to see if I’ve got chronic sinusitis, but the big news is the septum thing. Not sure how it happened: he said it could be genetic, and I think my dad had it as well, but he played football in high school back before faceguards were common, and I’m pretty sure that’s why he snored loud enough to be heard across the house (and, possibly, the neighborhood). I asked my dad and he doesn’t remember that at all, and says he was never injured playing football, though his demetia is getting worse so I don’t exactly trust his recollections.
At any rate, despite initial resistance, I think I’ll go through with the operation. Which would be, I realized, the first actual major surgery I’ve ever had, in my 51 rotations around the sun. I mean, I’ve had my wisdom teeth out, and a ganglion got sliced off my wrist decades ago, but I’ve never had anything that you could describe as “knock me out and come at me with a knife” surgery before. Still got my tonsils and my appendix, never even broken a bone. I’ve managed to make it through half a century without getting opened up.
So I’m both curious and terrified. I gather that this particular operation isn’t a huge one, and can basically be done outpatient, but still. If anyone feels like sharing words of assurance or horror stories from experience, I’d appreciate it, as I’ll be devoting about 79% of my waking throughts to it until it happens.
Other than wisdom teeth & a broken leg when I was a kid I made it to age 64 without surgery or general anesthesia.
Then came the day I got married to my then live-in GF. That afternoon I had to go to the ED for what my PCP feared was a small intestine stuck in an umbilical hernia. Which is rather serious shit. The ED decided they couldn’t tell what was stuck in there, but it needed to come out real soon. Turned out it wasn’t intestine, just a bit of blubber stuck in the hernia, but the fact remained I spent my 2nd wedding night solo in a hospital expecting open-belly surgery at dawn. By 10am I was repaired and by 5pm I was home.
As to deviated septums specifically I know two people (including that GF → wife) who’ve had the surgery and both reported no scary stuff and a major improvement in sinus & breathing health. Good luck. Expect the best.
My bottom line: For you this is a big deal. For them it’s just another day at work. I don’t have real stats to hand, but it’s a good bet the riskiest part of surgery day for you will be the drive to/from the hospital. A risk you take every day you get in a car no matter who is driving it.
My first surgery (other than wisdom teeth removal) was two months after I turned 50. It wasn’t even outpatient; I spent one night in the hospital. I’m glad you’re going ahead with the procedure – my understanding is that it’s quite routine, and also that you’ll feel much better afterwards – but I definitely get the nerves/apprehension! Keeping my fingers crossed for you…
I have had it twice. Second time was a follow-up to the first as the surgeon wasn’t happen with the final result and felt needed to adjust things a bit more. It also involved turbinate reduction at the same. time. Third sinus surgery was due to polyps and they expanded the openings of my sinuses.
In the big picture, it’s not a big scary deal. The worst part for me was two fold:
1.) I have obstructive sleep apnea so I cannot have any surgery involving sedation without a 24 hour hospital stay for observation.
2.) The stints (sp?) they put in are pretty uncomfortable but to best of my recollection are removed after 24 hours. When they do come out, it stings a bit but overall the relief from the discomfort is sublime.
2a.) The packing/spongy-things put into my sinuses after the 3rd surgery were in longer than the stints and they did NOT want to come out. It was a bit painful.
I wasn’t knocked out for it, but I did have to get a burst blood vessel on my septum cauterized twice. The first time may well have been by the doctor I saw last week, as it was the same hospital. That was likely the worst medical experience of my life. I’m dreading the recovery, and the paranoia of ripping stitches and needing to start over.
I never had major surgery or a broken bone or a serious disease in my life until I turned 75. Then came knee replacement, which I don’t care to repeat. Before that, there was tonsils as a child, removal of a cyst on my neck, and cataracts, none of which are serious or complicated. I count myself very lucky up to this point.
I’m also 51, and I’ve had three full anesthesia surgeries thus far.
First in 1988 was a simple knee arthroscopy, second was a reconstruction of my MCL on the same knee. (I played football).
Third was in 2014 on the other knee- a patellar tendon reattachment.
Anyway, the main things I’ve learned are that it’s important to stay “ahead” of any pain - it seems to be easier to just take your pain medication even if you aren’t feeling any pain, than to try to beat pain back after the fact.
The second thing is that general anesthesia tends to make me nauseous and puke. So it’s a good idea to eat something that’s easy on the return trip, so to speak.
Otherwise it can be a bit disconcerting in that some of the drugs may cut off short term memory and you end up laying on the operating table one minute with the mask on, and thee next moment you’re swaddled in the post-op recovery room.
The anesthesia is worrying me more than a bit. My dad, like I mentioned before, has got dementia. He’s been on a downward slope for a few years, and I know one thing that hit him very hard mentally was the operation in which he got an artificial knee put in. His father, as well, had some kind of surgery (hip, maybe) when he was younger than my dad is now, and, as some old folks do, never quite came out of the anesthesia: almost immediately he was foggy and confused, and it wasn’t long before the “man in the basement was stealing his shoes.” I know I’m much younger than either of them at the times of their surgeries, but this is more than a little worrying. Maybe my deviated septum is genetic; maybe a propensity for long-term damage from being knocked out is as well.
I got this done a year ago, they did the turbinates too. I was actually offered it a couple years ago and just did various nasal treatments to deal with it, but then last year I was nearing the end of my out of pocket max and decided to get it done.
I don’t have a huge experience with surgery but it wasn’t too bad. Hour and a half or so out, you probably get a ride home after and possibly take the next day or two off work but approaching normality soon. Total congestion for two weeks or so after, frequent neti potting after where you blow out heinous bloody boogers several inches long. Multiple followup appointments where they stick a long scope up your anesthetized sinuses but it’s just a few seconds of discomfort.
My mucus production is much better, but not 100%. No regrets.
I’d wonder what sort of general anesthesia you’ll get. I was put out with propofol I believe, for a colonoscopy a year and a half ago, and that was actually pleasant. It was just like waking up from a really good nap, unlike the more heavy-duty stuff they use for knee surgeries.
I would bet it is dependent on the surgery duration and what they’re doing- if it’s short and mostly soft tissue, I’d guess the anesthesia needs are lower than if it’s longer and involves sawing/drilling bone.
I can’t say that I’ve had any lingering issues from the anesthetic, but then again I was about 41 when I had my last surgery in 2014.
I had a septoplasty as well as some sinus polyp removal about…20 years ago(?) and I didn’t find the recovery too bad at all. I didn’t sleep well while the packing was in, but I think part of this was because I had it done in January, so the air was very dry. My throat would dry out, so I’d wake up and drink some water, then I’d wake up again to drink more water, then I’d wake up to go to the bathroom because of the water I’d drunk, rinse, repeat. Other than that, it certainly felt uncomfortable when they removed the packing, but all in all it wasn’t that big of a deal.
I’ve been told that I might have to get mine redone at some point, but that the modern procedures for straightening a deviated septum (v. mine of 20 years ago) result in a much more permanent straightening, so that might not be an issue for you.
I think this surgery is an OTO docs car payment money.
My whole family, sibs and My Daddy, couple extended had it. (Not me)
No one has ever had a great “omg-I-can-breathe” outcome. Some had a short term improvement. Many had polyps afterwards, needing more surgeries.
The best was my oldest sister. She had a nose job at the same time. She likes the way it looks but it still don’t work right.
We’re all cursed with allergies and sinus problems.
Take Claritin, Neti pot or saline cleaners, avoid viruses and live with it.
The surgery and the pain associated are not worth it.
IMO.
I have no experience or knowledge with this surgery. I just want to wish you well. Getting knocked out is no big deal. Your vision may start to go blurry and immediately after that, you’re waking up in the recovery room, or at least it seems that fast.
I’m in envious awe of all of you who’ve made it to 50, 60, or beyond without any major surgeries. I’ve had about 25, but 14 of them were eye surgeries, and I was only knocked out for one of those. I’m always thinking, “Maybe this will be the last one ever!” and then it never is. Maybe I’m jinxing myself.
This they’re having is elective surgery. I’m kinda against most of those, unless it will drastically improve your life. I mean, nearing 90% improvement.
I’ve had to have surgeries and I ain’t doing it electively.
