Nasal Congestion after Sinus Surgery: Do I have to go through this all again?

[KingGeno]

Dr. Steve,

You are the best. Thanks for taking time out of your busy sched to answer questions.

I had a Septoplasty and Sinus clean-up back in 2006. For a few years I was doing just great, but recently I'm not doing that well. It feels like my one problem side of my nasal passage is close to shut again, and I am getting a lot of the headaches/sinus pressure that I had before my Septoplasty. I went back to my ENT doc, and he scoped up there and said my nasal passage hasn't deviated again. He recommended another CT Scan to see if there is some kind of problem up there. I just think that I am loaded with tons of backed up sinus juice, or I could have some scar tissue up there that is causing problems.

I tend to notice that when I take things like amoxicillin and other things that help a little. NETI Pots have caused problems for me, they make me too dry. I have tried Astepro nasal spray, and this either helps a lot or makes me feel worse. I also notice that the airflow coming out of my initial bad nostril shoots out straight instead of down like typical nasal passages do.

Anything you can think of that is causing a problem for me? Or should I follow-up with the CT Scan and go the surgery route again if need be.

[Dr Steve]

Dr. Steve,

You are the best. Thanks for taking time out of your busy sched to answer questions.

I had a Septoplasty and Sinus clean-up back in 2006. For a few years I was doing just great, but recently I'm not doing that well. It feels like my one problem side of my nasal passage is close to shut again, and I am getting a lot of the headaches/sinus pressure that I had before my Septoplasty. I went back to my ENT doc, and he scoped up there and said my nasal passage hasn't deviated again. He recommended another CT Scan to see if there is some kind of problem up there. I just think that I am loaded with tons of backed up sinus juice, or I could have some scar tissue up there that is causing problems.

I tend to notice that when I take things like amoxicillin and other things that help a little. NETI Pots have caused problems for me, they make me too dry. I have tried Astepro nasal spray, and this either helps a lot or makes me feel worse. I also notice that the airflow coming out of my initial bad nostril shoots out straight instead of down like typical nasal passages do.

Anything you can think of that is causing a problem for me? Or should I follow-up with the CT Scan and go the surgery route again if need be.


I think your theories are all good ones. If you have an allergic component with a lot of mucus production, one thing a lot of docs forget about is a nasal spray called "ATROVENT NASAL". It's a bit "out of the box", but sometimes is just the thing for cases that are hard to manage otherwise. I'm also surprized that they haven't tried you on some cortisone-like nasal sprays like VeraMyst. Certainly the CT scan will give you some information that you don't already have, but you could try this other stuff first and save yourself $2000 and a nice dose of XRays if it works.

If you've already tried everything there is to try, I don't see a way out of the CT scan unless you can stand the discomfort you're currently experiencing.

Let me know how it turns out.


your pal,



steve

[sr71blackbird]

I wonder if they could put up some kind of nasal stent in there that forces the passage open? Do they make things like that?