It’s incredibly rewarding for me to hear that my patients are enjoying a better quality of life after sinus surgery.  I enjoy being a part of my patients’ recovery process and watching them improve week to week. Despite recent advancements, recovery from sinus surgery can still be somewhat uncomfortable for many.

A while back I was invited to appear on a KUSI’s Good Morning San Diego show to discuss my experiences with Propel, a dissolvable stent that is placed in the sinuses after surgery to decrease inflammation and scar formation. (Disclaimer: I don’t have any business ties to the company that sells Propel, but my experiences with using it in the OR have been positive). I began thinking that I should share some tips for a quick recovery after sinus surgery.

Please don’t take this list as a substitute for post-operative care instructions from your surgeon. Depending on the specific procedure performed as well as your own personal medical history, your surgeon will give you post-operative instructions for you to follow and you should follow those directions carefully. But generally speaking, recovering from sinus surgery can be eased with these universal tips:

1. Keep your head elevated when you sleep for the first two weeks. Some of my patients just sleep in a recliner for that period. You can also elevate your upper body in bed using 3 to 4 pillows. This allows your sinuses to continue draining properly and will minimize overall swelling and pain.
2. Rinse your nose during the day and use a humidifier at night.  I recommend that my patients rinse their nose with saline several times a day immediately after sinus surgery.  This rinses out the mucus while keeping the membranes moist after surgery. At night, there is no need to wake up to irrigate, but a humidifier can be very helpful.  The humidifier at our home gets a lot of use during the school cold and flu season each year. Just as it helps kids who are battling a cold sleep more comfortably by keeping the nasal, throat, and lung passages moist, it can also help relieve some of the discomfort you might feel following surgery by preventing the mucus in your nose from getting dry and irritated during that crucial healing period.
3. Rest and take it easy. Avoid bending over and have someone else do all the lifting. If you have taken a few days off work to recover, don’t use that as an opportunity to get some overdue house cleaning done. Any sort of physical exertion can cause bleeding and cause more inflammation, and certainly set you back a few days on your road to recovery.
4. Be aggressive in preventing a cold or flu virus.  That’s the last thing you want to throw into the mix when your sinuses and nasal passages are already inflamed. Wash your hands frequently, avoid crowded places,, drink of plenty of water and get a lot of rest.
5. Believe in your ability to get through the recovery process. It will be uncomfortable at times and you will feel some pain along the way, but you will get through it!  Of course, depending on your specific situation, your surgeon will certainly be able to give you some prescription pain medication which you can take when/if necessary. However, pain medications are not meant to completely eliminate all the pain.  After a few days, most patients should be able to manage with nothing more than Tylenol and a little bit of determination…and perhaps an entertaining movie or book for distraction.

Disclaimer: This article is not to be taken as medical advice. Dr. Angela Chang enjoys writing and publishing informal articles like this one to share her general thoughts on healthcare and healthy living in San Diego. If you have any questions or concerns about your specific medical conditions or sinus health, please call Dr. Angela Chang’s office to schedule an appointment or contact another qualified ENT doctor in your area.