Nose Surgery Update

I feel like I have written this post before, but with just a few different details. I hope this is my last post like this. Fingers crossed.

So about a week ago, I went into an Ear, Nose, Throat doctor for the next installment on my nose. I chose the best in my area and fortunately, he is covered by my insurance. Unfortunately, I had to wait a month and a half to get in to see him and that was with my previous doctor's recommendation and help.

I arrived at the appointment not knowing what I would find out. After an initial exam by the nurse, she said I needed a CT Scan. I thought this meant I wasn't going to get much info that day, but after my CT was done. Lucky for me, they had an in office CT machine. So we got my CT Scan done and waited for the doctor to come in. He had all the notes, pictures and hospital documents from my previous surgeries.

Once he came in and did an exam on my nose, throat, ears, eyes and sinuses, he took a look at the new CT Scan. He said that the hole in my nose was 5 mm by 4 mm. He said that my sinuses had fluid in them. He said that my turbinates were enlarged and I had excess tissue at the bottom right side of my nose. So basically four issues going on with me.

He then told me that I had four options:
1. Do nothing.
2. Use the steroid spray (again) and an antihistamine daily (forever)
3. Surgery in his office.
4. Surgery in the hospital.

Then he told me the difference between surgery in the office versus in a hospital. And here is what he said:

In Office:
He would give me pills to sedate me, but still be awake. I would take these at home, have someone drive me to his office and then start the local numbing. Once I was numb, he would cut the excess tissue on the right side of my nose. Then he would do a breathing test to make sure the blockage was gone. Once that was done, he would clean the area out (irrigation, drying, etc.). Then he would cut my turbinates down. Then he would do the breathing test again to make sure I can breathe better. He would do this until he found the optimal results. Then he would clean it again.

Next, he would stick a balloon into my sinus passages and inflate it. He would do this several times to get my sinuses to move and open up. Then he would clean it again after the breathing test. Finally, he would take a silicone button patch and put it into the hole inside my nose and secure it. Then he would clean everything out again.

He would then do a final breathing test and make sure I am feeling ok and can breathe better.

In the Hospital:
I would be given general anesthesia (which would be 3 times in a year). He would do the first two procedures the same but instead of using a balloon on the third procedure, he would cut a bone out of my sinus area. This would require packing (the straw like tubes with the fins on them) to be placed inside my nose for 5 days. It would require a week off of work and three weeks until I could lift my kids and work out. It is more evasive. The final procedure would be the same as in office. And he wouldn't be able to test my breathing out until after which leaves the possibility of another procedure.

I asked him which he would recommend and he said in office. It is less stress to my body, he can check my breathing with each procedure which means I would be less likely to have another procedure. He also said since I survived an emergency c-section being awake, that this wouldn't be that bad. I will feel some pain, tugging and smell the burning, but the results are a lot better this way. So I chose the in office procedure.

I am not excited about being awake for it, but I want the best results.

So that is where I am at on my next nose procedure. My surgery is set for Wednesday September 25th.