You will probably be able to return to work or school in a few days and to your normal routine in about 3 weeks.
Septoplasty is a minor, low-risk procedure. Recovery usually takes a few days and requires an average of a week of downtime. But, as with any surgery, septoplasty carries some risks, including bleeding, infection and numbness.
HOSPITAL STAY: Septoplasty is usually done as an outpatient and does not require an overnight hospital stay. On occasion, a patient may need to stay overnight. Check with your insurance company to see if hospitalization would be covered by your policy.
You had septoplasty to fix the problems in your nasal septum. This surgery takes about 1 to 1 ½ hours. You may have received general anesthesia so you were asleep and pain free.
Deviated Septum Surgery Recovery
Most people will have pain medication to decrease discomfort after the surgery and may use it for 1-3 days. The nose will remain swollen on the inside and tender for a few days.
1–2 days Your nose will feel sore, and much more stuffy than it did before the operation. Once the dressings are removed from your nose, you may still need to breathe through your mouth for a week or so. There may be some dark, bloodstained mucus discharge from your nose.
How soon can I go back? Every person recovers differently and has different needs. Septoplasty is a relatively minor procedure and the majority of individuals who are doing administrative roles will normally be back at work after about a week or so.
Limit activities that could make you fall or put more pressure on your face. Some of these are bending over, holding your breath, and tightening muscles during bowel movements. Avoid heavy lifting and hard physical activity for 1 to 2 weeks. You should be able to go back to work or school 1 week after surgery.
Postoperative Septoplasty and/or Turbinate Surgery (without Sinus Surgery) Instructions. Sleep with your head slightly elevated for 2-3 days. No heavy lifting or straining for 7 days. Do not blow your nose or sniff forcefully.
For the first 2 weeks, sneeze with your mouth open, and do not blow your nose hard. As your nose heals, dryness and crusting in the nose are normal. Often, you will be recommended to use a salt-water rinse to help with this; alternatively, steam inhalations can be recommended, as these are very soothing.
Avoid directly washing your nose, but rather use a damp warm cloth to gently wash your face. Avoid submerging your incisions in a bath, swimming pool, or whirlpool for two weeks after surgery. Swelling: Maximal swelling typically occurs two to three days after surgery, then begins to dramatically improve.
Avoid foods requiring prolonged chewing and avoid excessive facial movements for one week. Brush teeth gently with a soft toothbrush only. Avoid manipulation of upper lip to keep nose at rest. You may have some numbness in your upper lip and upper teeth for about a week.
It is normal to have some bleeding during the first 48 hours after surgery. If the bleeding becomes steady or severe, spray your nose with 2-3 squirts of Afrin (oxymetazoline) nasal spray to help control the bleeding. If bleeding persists call our office and inform staff.
For at least one week, you should avoid getting your nasal cast and dressing wet. You may carefully wash your face and hair, but you might need to have someone else assist you. Showers, baths, and swimming must be completely avoided.
Surgeon's fees – generally between $5,000 AUD and $ 15,000 AUD, depending on the procedure. The fee will normally include pre and post-operative care. Fees will vary depending on the experience and qualifications of the surgeon and the techniques required to achieve your expectations.
Normally, you will be fit to drive 1 day after the operation. Before resuming driving, you will need to be fully recovered from your surgical procedure.
Within days, most people are already experiencing some relief from the frustrating symptoms previously caused by a deviated septum. Once surgical recovery is over, which usually takes 2-4 weeks, the nasal passages should be more open, leading to better nasal drainage and breathing, but results can depend on the person.
The vast majority of patients go home on the same day as their operation. Nasal packs are rarely used following septoplasty. If packing is required, it will usually be dissolvable.
Sleeping poorly is very common, especially during the first few nights, mainly due to pain and swelling.
Opening your mouth during a cough or a sneeze minimizes the pressure that would normally be going through your nasal passages if the mouth were to remain closed. Any amount of pressure in the nasal passages immediately following surgery can contribute to bleeding and more swelling, as previously mentioned.
For the septoplasty, a small cut is made on the inside of your nose on the septum and any bent or obstructing bone/cartilage is removed or straightened. The reconstructed nasal septum is secured with internal stitches.
Don't blow, pick or rub the nose for 7 days (this can cause bleeding or infection). Walk at least 10 minutes three times a day. Avoid vigorous exercise.
This is because sometimes, when extensive work is done, the muscles that are responsible for pulling up the upper lip when you smile, are temporarily weakened. However, in this event as well, the lip and smile will return back to normal as the healing process continues in the early months following the procedure.