Nasal surgery has long had the reputation for being a painful, uncomfortable procedure. If you ask anyone who has undergone an unpleasant nasal procedure, most times you will find that it was not the surgery that was bad, it was the postoperative nasal packing and its removal that caused all the problems. The main purpose of nasal packing is to decrease postoperative bleeding and scar formation. The surgery technique used by the physicians at Nasal & Sinus Center of Austin does not require nasal packing. With this surgery technique, patients are able to breathe through their nose immediately after surgery and have a decreased risk of postoperative infection.
The physicians of The Nasal and Sinus Center of Austin are committed to resolving all of your nasal and sinus issues using the most up to date methods with the least amount of discomfort.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
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4 comments:
Is the anyway you can tell me exactly what is used in place of the nose packing procedure? I am planning on having nose surgery done as a final option. I have nose and sinus issues for many years now (without going into detail), and I dread the fact of having that packing in my nose at all let alone having it in there for weeks! Please provide as much information as possible if you can. Your assistance is greatly appreciated.
Sure, we would be happy to answer your question.
Nasal packing or nasal splinting is typically used for any of three main reasons.
1. Bleeding – there is usually very little bleeding during nasal surgery. Occasionally patients have a little more bleeding than expected. This can easily be controlled during the surgery using decongestants, pressure, or electrocautery. Nasal packing is not necessary to stop bleeding.
2. “Holding cartilage in place” – Some physicians will use packing or splinting to hold the septum in the midline after surgery. The problem is that cartilage has memory and whenever the splints or packing are removed, the cartilage returns to its natural shape. It is imperative that cartilage either be reshaped or permanently fixed in the midline position BEFORE the procedure is complete. If the surgery is done correctly, “holding cartilage in place” is not necessary which is good, because it does not work.
3. Prevent scarring or adhesion – Sometimes after nasal surgery two raw surface areas in close approximation will try to scar together. This is a rare problem when the surgery is done correctly because the there is very little raw surface area (atraumatic technique), and the surface areas are well separated because a nice nasal airway has been formed. In the unusual event of an adhesion, it can be easily released during the postoperative visit without the patient ever feeling a thing.
For years Otolaryngologists have used nasal packing after surgery. It was just the way things were done. Years ago, after listening to many patients complain about how uncomfortable nasal packing was, we at The Nasal and Sinus Center (division of Capital Otolaryngology) realized that there was no good reason to use it in all cases. Soon we realized there was no reason to use it in any case. Our patients are very thankful that we came to this realization.
Zachary Wassmuth, MD
Thank you very much for your response and information. I appreciate all of the time you have taken to get this information to me. I am currently seeing a Doctor here about my sinus issues. I would like to know if you are aware of a situation called Empty Nose Syndrome. I would think that this type of situation would depend upon the type of surgery that needs to be done. What is the probability of this type thing happening in any type of nasal surgery? I am just trying to get some facts together here right now. I appreciate all of your assistance in this issue.
Empty nose syndrome is an uncommon problem and non-existent for an experienced surgeon. Empty nose syndrome occurs when the surgeon, instead of shrinking turbinates, removes the turbinates. The turbinates are vital to nasal breathing. They supply warmth and humidity to incoming air. They also supply some resistance so that you “feel” that you are breathing. People with empty nose syndrome, or atrophic rhinitis, tend to have severe crusting and foul smell in their nose on a daily basis. Unfortunately, there is no good treatment to date. The best treatment is prevention - NEVER remove the turbinates.
Zachary D. Wassmuth, MD
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