What are they?

Turbinectomy is a surgical procedure that is conducted in the nasal cavity of patients with enlarged tissues in their nose. Septoplasty is a surgery performed to treat patients with a deviated or crooked septum. These procedures will help to

• Improve breathing,
• Control the nosebleeds,
• Relieve sinus headaches
• Promote drainage
• of the sinus cavities.

Why do we need them?

The turbinates filters and humidifies the air we breathe before it enters our lungs, and also keep our nose moist. They also regulate the flow of air through our nose.

The septum is the bony cartilage wall, which is present in midline of our nose. It helps support our nose and also guides the airflow. A deviated septum can make breathing through our nose hard and also prevent proper drainage causing a sinus infection.

If the septum has deviated, one side of the inside of the nose is roomy so the turbinates may adjust by getting bigger too and worsen the blockage. This is why a septoplasty with turbinoplasty is usually performed. Some people might be born with a deviated septum while others might develop a deviated septum after injury or trauma to the nose.

Symptoms – nose block

• Nosebleeds
• Facial pain
• Headache
• Post-nasal drip
• Loud breathing
• Snoring during sleep

Procedure

The surgery is usually performed with the patient under general anesthetic and takes about 30 minutes.

Some of the procedures involved during this surgery are:

• Diathermy: In this surgery, the electric current is passed through a needle placed either on the surface of the turbinate or inside the tissue. Radiofrequency, which uses a high-frequency electrical current to heat and destroy tissue.
• Trimming: helps in removing part of the turbinate, which include removing some bone covering the exposed area with a tissue. During the procedure, turbinates may be reduced or removed.

Post Procedure

After the procedure, the patient might experience the following:

• Swelling of the nose, eyes, cheeks, or upper lip.
• Discomfort.
• Feeling of numbness in the nose tip, gums, or upper lip.
• Some blood-stained fluid for up to two weeks following the surgery.

The doctor might recommend the following measure for the patient after the procedure:

• Avoid hard chewing, talking too much and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin, naproxen, and ibuprofen.
• Patients should eat a, soft diet as tolerated once recovered fully from the anesthetic.
• Patient will have to avoid straining during bowel movements or exercise.
• Patients will be instructed about nasal packing, nasal packing removal, follow-up examinations, and the use of nasal irrigation to reduce nasal crusting or scab formation.
• If a patient experiences a sudden increase in nose bleeding, a fever greater than 101.5 F, persistent sharp pain, or increased swelling after surgery, they should contact their surgeon immediately.

Complications

• Numbness of facial structures
• Blocked nose symptoms return
• Septal perforation
• Chronic nasal drainage
• Change of sense of smell or taste