Regaining the sense of smell after 2-in-1 surgery

The sense of smell not only helps us perceive flavors but is also an important 'warning system' against potential dangers. When this function is lost, the quality of life is significantly reduced - that is the situation that Mr. LT has had to endure for over a year.

Despite having visited many places for examination, Mr. T.'s hope of recovery was getting further and further away. When he came to Nam Sai Gon Hospital , he had the chance to find what he thought was lost.

The journey to find the cause of loss of smell is long

For more than a year without his sense of smell, Mr. T. lived in a situation of "eating without knowing the taste, not knowing the danger", causing him to gradually lose interest in meals, his spirit to decline, and life to become boring. Even more dangerous, he could not recognize the smell of smoke or gas leaks - important warning signs in daily life.

Despite having visited many medical facilities and tried many treatments, his sense of smell still showed no signs of improvement. By chance, while reading the news, he learned that Nam Sai Gon International General Hospital had successfully treated a case of loss of smell for 8 years, so he decided to go for a check-up. Unexpectedly, this became a big turning point, opening up a ray of hope for him after a long period of living in a "smellless" world.

Here, he was directly examined by Master - Specialist Doctor 2 Nguyen Truong Khuong - Professional Director and prescribed a CT scan and ENT endoscopy using a modern Olympus flexible endoscope system, allowing deep observation of the smallest nasal cavities to accurately assess the damage.

The results showed that Mr. T. had a severe deviated nasal septum, and a series of nasal polyps appeared in many locations such as the ethmoid sinus, maxillary sinus, frontal sinus, and olfactory cleft (nasal cleft - where the olfactory nerve is located). These lesions are the cause of airway obstruction, impaired sense of smell, and thereby leading to loss of smell.

Why is medical treatment not effective?

According to Dr. Khuong, the condition of decreased or lost sense of smell can come from many causes such as infection due to flu, acute sinusitis, chronic nasal congestion or abnormalities in the nasal structure such as deviated septum, nasal polyps, or even tumors. These factors all contribute to obstructing the flow of air through the olfactory area, making the patient no longer able to sense smell.

In cases of loss of smell due to infection, medical treatment with anti-inflammatory drugs can help improve. On the other hand, when the cause comes from structural damage, surgery to remove the obstruction is an effective solution to reopen the airway and restore the sense of smell.

2-in-1 surgery: Comprehensive correction of the cause

To resolve the airway obstruction, Master - Specialist Doctor 2 Nguyen Truong Khuong and his team performed 2 techniques simultaneously in the same surgery: endoscopic septal correction and endoscopic ethmoid - maxillary - frontal sinus opening to remove nasal polyps .

Endoscopic surgery team to correct septum and remove polyps for Mr. T.

Photo: BVCC

During the surgery, the team used the Osseous Shaver system - a modern device with a super small cutting head and the ability to cut and suck at the same time. This technology helps to gently remove diseased tissue, reduce bleeding and minimize damage to healthy tissue. Thanks to the continuous irrigation mechanism, the operating room is always clean, helping the doctor to observe clearly and operate more accurately, while shortening the anesthesia time.

After more than 2 hours of surgery, all obstructions were removed, Mr. T's airway became clear and the nasal structure was optimally preserved. Just 2 days after surgery, he began to sense some basic scents - a sign that his sense of smell was recovering.

Mr. T. emotionally shared: "I felt a very clear change after the surgery. Even though it was just basic scents, it gave me a lot of hope. Thank you, Dr. Khuong, for treating my condition."

After 2 weeks of combined treatment at home, his sense of smell was completely restored, and he could fully recognize the scents in his daily life. Currently, Mr. T's health is stable, with no more abnormal symptoms and his quality of life has improved significantly.

The doctor checks the patient's airway 1 day after surgery, ensuring the recovery process is safe.

Photo: BVCC

Do not be subjective when experiencing prolonged loss of smell.

Loss of smell is sometimes just a temporary symptom of inflammatory conditions such as flu, cold or sinusitis. However, if the condition persists and medical treatment is ineffective, the patient should go to a reputable medical facility for examination and to find the exact cause.

"Patients should not be subjective when experiencing prolonged loss of smell because this can affect their psychology and health: loss of appetite, increased risk of food poisoning due to not detecting rancid odors, not recognizing smoke or gas that can easily lead to fire or explosion; even causing stress, anxiety and reduced quality of life," Master - Specialist Doctor 2 Nguyen Truong Khuong shared more.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tim-lai-khuu-giac-sau-ca-phau-thuat-2-trong-1-185251119160201792.htm