Avoiding a Bad Experience With Septoplasty

The Los Angeles sinus surgery center boasts one of the highest success rates in the nation, measured by the very low incidence of revision surgery our patients require.

But many patients across the country are not so lucky. This piece is a good reminder that sinus surgery, including septoplasty and turbinate reduction surgery, can go wrong, and lead to significant complications which far outstrip the original issue:

Recently, my boyfriend had septoplasty surgery — which corrects a deviated nasal septum — along with turbinate reduction — which reduces the overall size of the turbinates allowing for airflow. This was done on a Monday, which was the day I worked from home. If you’ve never heard of this procedure, just know that the first 48 hours are supposed to be hell, but then, gradually you’re supposed to feel better. The issue was, in those 48 hours instead of feeling better, he actually got worse.

This isn’t a representative case, nor is it a common occurrence in stateside sinus surgeries But complications can happen in sinus surgery: our procedures aren’t perfect, and modern medicine is not yet precise enough to sidestep every possible mistake.

The good news is that the problem in this case was quickly resolved: It was a sinus infection, of the sort that strikes many millions each year. But the piece remains a good reminder that sinus surgery is a challenging field, and that you always want to work with experienced professionals in your procedure of choice.