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Sinusitis surgical treatment
Are you looking for sinus surgery in India? Get the perfect solution for your sinusitis from the best sinus doctor in India, Dr.GVK Chaitanya Rao.
Depending on whether your Sinusitis is acute or chronic in nature, your doctor would typically start off with a medicine course. If the sinus infection is caused by bacteria or allergies, you might be prescribed the appropriate medicines and as discussed in detail in this article, your doctor might prescribe a combination of painkillers, decongestants along with some home remedies to soothe your sinuses. In case of acute sinusitis, your sinuses may clear up on their own but there are cases when your Sinus specialist would recommend surgery.
When does your doctor recommend surgery?
Sinusitis surgery helps drain your sinuses and prevent infection from building up, or clear infection that has built up. The surgery generally involves making the sinuses openings bigger using endoscopic techniques, removing infected/damaged tissues and unwanted growths such as polyps. In cases of structural abnormalities such as a deviated septum, surgery is the only way to correct the abnormality causing sinusitis.
Hence your doctor would recommend sinus surgery depending on the diagnosis which you can read in detail here.
What are the types of Sinus surgery?
The main types of Sinus Surgery are
What are the risks involved?
With the latest advancements in surgical techniques, sinus surgery does not leave any scars or incisions. In case of endoscopic techniques such as Balloon Sinuplasty the procedure is carried out by inserting a thin, flexible instrument called an endoscope into your nostril. The endoscope has a small camera lens on its end which allows the doctor to see the infected areas and blocks, thereby allowing the doctor to remove the blocks, infection, polyps, scar tissue, etc as required.
The surgery is generally performed under local anesthesia leading to temporary numbness in the nose area. The surgery duration is typically short and you can go home when it is completed.
In a very small number of cases there might be minor issues such as bleeding, infection, swelling around the sinus region, decreased sense of smell and scar tissue. Your doctor will explain the risks involved. You can always seek a second opinion from Sinus Doctor for understanding the same.
Is the surgery going to give permanent relief and prevent future build up of sinusitis?
Sinus surgery is one part of the treatment plan recommended by your Sinus Doctor based on the nature of your sinusitis. Sinus surgery helps clear up your blocked nasal passages or clear infection and drain your sinuses which would help you breathe easier. Your doctor would also recommend follow-up medication and self-care methods to minimize recurrence. That said, it may not permanently cure your sinusitis always.
In 90% of the cases sinus surgery proves effective and improves symptoms. The best results are obtained when you use nasal irrigation, decongestants or antibiotics post surgery as recommended by your doctor. Either way, the benefits far outweigh the problems. The cost of negligence can be high as chronic sinus infections may lead to serious and sometimes fatal issues such as infection spreading to the brain causing meningitis, brain abscess, etc.
