Septoplasty refers to a type of surgery used to correct a crooked, blocked nasal passage. Septoplasty involves correcting a crooked nasal septum that is making it difficult to breathe normally. If you are interested in this type of surgery or want to know if you might benefit from septoplasty, consider the following septoplasty surgery Houston TX guide.
Why do people receive septoplasty?
The primary reason why people receive septoplasty is to repair a deviated septum. A deviated septum is a crooked septum which can make it difficult for people to breathe normally. Someone with a deviated septum will find it very difficult to breathe through their nose, and this can increase the chances for health problems related to mouth breathing and difficulty breathing through the nose.
A deviated septum can be either genetic or it can be caused by trauma. Someone may have a deviated septum without any external trauma to the nose, or their SEPTA maybe malformed due to a traumatic accident impacting the nose.
Signs that you may need septoplasty
The primary sign that you need septoplasty is that you have a deviated septum which is impacting your quality of life. A deviated septum may impact your quality of life in a number of ways. The most common ways that a deviated septum will impair your quality of life include Difficulty breathing through the nose, which can cause a variety of issues such as lack of good sleep, nosebleeds, headaches or migraines, and so on. A deviated septum will cause you to breathe through your mouth more frequently, which can increase your chances for cavities, gum disease, as well as infections due to irritated lung and throat lining.
If you are experiencing headaches, difficulty sleeping, and difficulty breathing in general, then you are a good candidate for septoplasty.
Septoplasty recovery
Recovery from septoplasty surgery may take anywhere from three weeks to one to two months. Most people return to their regular lives within three weeks after surgery, but it may take about one to two months to recover from all the symptoms related to surgery recovery.
Immediately after surgery, you will likely experience swelling of the lips, gums, nose, cheeks and the area around your eyes. Your nose will likely be sore from the effects of the surgery and you may be prescribed pain relievers. The swelling should last for a few days and go away completely within 1 to 2 weeks. You will also experience feelings of numbness in your mouth, gums and nose. This numbness can last anywhere from one week to one to two months, depending on the severity of your surgery and how your body has reacted to it.
Immediately after surgery, your nose will drip blood and mucus for about 24 hours. You will be given drip pad and that will need to be changed every hour for about a day after the surgery to collect to these drippings.
Remember to follow all recovery instructions from your surgery recovery team after your surgery. This will ensure a better healing process and better results from your surgery.