How long does it take to recover after sinus surgery?

I've suffered from sinusitis for 20 years, experiencing runny nose, nasal congestion, and headaches whenever the weather turns cold. How long does it take to recover after sinus surgery? (Quoc Trung, Binh Phuoc )

Reply:

Sinus surgery is a last resort for treating chronic nasal and sinus diseases that do not respond to medication, or for fungal rhinosinusitis, sinusitis causing orbital complications, and optic nerve compression. Patients with structural abnormalities of the nasal and sinuses such as nasal polyps, deviated septum, and turbinate pneumothorax are also indicated for sinus surgery.

This method includes various types such as functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS); ethmoid sinus curettage, maxillary sinus, frontal sinus, and sphenoid sinus opening surgery, septoplasty, turbinate reshaping, balloon sinus reconstruction, open surgery, etc.

Among these, functional endoscopic sinus surgery is the most common, applied to cases such as chronic sinus infections, nasal polyps, fungal sinusitis, small tumors, trauma, congenital malformations, etc. Because sinus surgery is performed through the nasal passage using endoscopy, the surgeon does not need to make external incisions to open the sinuses, leaving no scars and ensuring aesthetic results for the patient.

Depending on the type of surgery and the specific nature of each case, the duration of surgery can vary, averaging 2 hours. Patients regain consciousness 10-15 minutes after surgery, depending on the anesthesia method and the anesthesiologist's control of anesthetic drugs.

With the modern surgical equipment system at Tam Anh General Hospital, patients only need to stay in the hospital for 2-3 days after surgery, shortening the time by half compared to the old method (5-7 days of hospitalization).

After being discharged from the hospital for 3-4 days, patients can resume normal activities but should avoid exposure to dusty or polluted environments or strenuous labor. During the first two weeks, symptoms such as runny nose, nasal congestion, nasal pain, and facial pain may occur but gradually subside. You should elevate your head while sleeping, rinse your nose with saline solution 3-4 times a day, keep your nose and surgical wound dry and clean, rest, eat a nutritious diet, and avoid allergenic foods.

Most patients recover completely within about a month after sinus surgery. However, patients need to have regular check-ups every 3-6 months after surgery so that the doctor can monitor and check the recovery process of the sinuses.

Sinus surgery is a complex procedure due to the anatomical location of the sinuses near sensitive areas such as the skull base and cranial nerves. Inexperienced surgeons or outdated equipment can increase the risk of surgical complications such as impaired vision and encephalitis/meningitis.

Patients should go to reputable facilities with specialized ENT, Anesthesia-Resuscitation, and Emergency departments, staffed by skilled doctors and equipped with modern facilities, to receive the best treatment.

MSc. Dr. Tran Thi Thuy Hang
Head of the Department of Otolaryngology, Tam Anh General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City

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