Turbinate reduction options

IdahoEv · Joined: 26 Jul 2002 Posts: 3

In another thread, someone asked this question.

Don · Joined: 23 Jun 2005 Posts: 258

IdahoEv thank you.
My ENT has told me he could help with my nasal congestion with surgery to open up my nasal canals and mentioned both the terbinates and getting rid of some bone along with what he thinks is a bone spur caused from some type of injury in the past. However, that is about all I know about it till now after reading your post. Before I decide to have any surgery done I will find out what type of surgery he is considering.
Thanks Again,
Don

Dareman2 · Guest

Don, the operation you describe is called a turbinectomy, and I just had it done. It requires general anasthesia, but only takes about thirty minutes. It is one of my life's best decisions. It's been four weeks now since I had it done and I can breathe cleearly ALL the time, something which was impossible before (I was one of the world's worst Afrin addicts). I would highly recommend this procedure.

Don · Joined: 23 Jun 2005 Posts: 258

Dareman2.
Thanks for the encouragement. I am pretty sure I am going to have this done as nothing I have tried seems to be working to make it better. The ENT also said he would remove some bone spur I think he called it. I think I will set up another appointment to talk to him and find out exactly what he would plan to do. When I had the appointment with him he went over everything so fast that I really didn't get a grip on all of it and I have learned so much on here that I would really like to talk to him about it again.
Thanks,
Don

AnrkeyGrrrl · Joined: 19 Jun 2005 Posts: 10 Location: Tacoma, WA

Hi Don,

I just had the turbinoplasty and septoplasty surgeries 4 days ago -- see this post for a complete run down of the day http://www.talkaboutsleep.com/message-boards/viewtopic.php?t=11377&start=14

My ENT said he lifted the turbinate tissue up, took out small pieces of bone and replaced the tissue intact.

It's always a good idea to get an idea of what the ENT is talking about, go home do some research and come back prepared to discuss options. You are right, they talk so fast and throw so much information at you at once!!!

If I can answer anything about my surgery, please ask!

Michelle

Don · Joined: 23 Jun 2005 Posts: 258

Michelle,
The "septoplasty" is the removal of the bone below the terbinates? If so then it sounds like the same thing my ENT is talking about. I will "dig" a little bit deeper to make sure this is the same thing we are taking about...
Thanks and I just may have some questions for you. Thanks for your kindness and willingness to help me.
Don

AnrkeyGrrrl · Joined: 19 Jun 2005 Posts: 10 Location: Tacoma, WA

Hi Don,

No, the septoplasty is the surgery to fix the septum - the cartilage that separates the nostrils. If you have a deviated septum [like I did] this is how the ENT fixes it.

And I'll help all that I can. There are lots of folks on this board who are far more knowledgeable than me Smile

Michelle

Don · Joined: 23 Jun 2005 Posts: 258

Michelle,
What he told me was that I had very small nasal passages that needed to be opened up and that there was a bone spur that he thought had come from a past injury which I couldn't tell him what it would have been from as a sports crazy fool growing up it could have been anything from football (tackle with no pads or helmets to kicking myself in the nose on the trampoline and everywhere in between. Plus, he said the would do some work on the terbinates too.
Thanks,
Don

jenniferguest · Guest

Hi, all. I've having a turbinate reduction and having my septum fixed next week. I just want to ask those who had it: would you do it again? and what does it feel like to breathe through your nose??? I wonder if this is going to be one of those things where I had no idea how bad it was until I had it fixed. Also, in conjunction with finally breathing through your nose (can't imagine!)... do you find you have more energy overall? energy is not why I'm doing it, but I can't help but to be curious about it.

Also, my husband is going out of town on business the next day. Am I going to need him?

Jennifer

Billinseattle · Joined: 01 May 2005 Posts: 484 Location: Seattle

Hi Jennifer,

Today seems to be nose surgery day.

Many people seem to have great results from turbinate reductions and septoplasty. People have septoplasty who don't have OSA swear that they breathe a ton better and appreciate the surgery.

People who have OSA find that they breathe better while awake and are able to use CPAP better at night. To that extent, it may improve your energy (better use of CPAP in helping your OSA). In general, it won't fix OSA...and I don't think that it will therefore be providing a big boost in your energy without improvements in PAP use.

Overall, most people do find it beneficial and surprising compared to what they've been used to.

As for needing help the next day. Some people are pretty miserable. You probably won't need medical help...but if you have kids or a lot of stuff to do by yourself, you may really appreciate someone being there with you. Even if it is totally a piece of cake, you are still in a recovery phase where a little TLC might be nice.

Bill

Andrew · Guest

I have had enlarged turbinates my entire life and have never been able to breath out of my nose. I was also addicted to afrin for a couple of years. I went to see an ent and he recommended either the somnoplasty or the partial turbinate reduction surgery. I opted to try the less invasive method first.

I had the somnoplasty about 17 days ago and I am ecstatic with the results. It took about 10 days for the swelling to go down but now I am breathing better than ever before. I think the reason why he said it worked is because my turbinates were "Juicy" they were always swollen. I would recommend giving giving the somnoplasty a try if it is an option. It was about as difficult as having cavities filled but less painful.

Christie · Joined: 22 Dec 2006 Posts: 2

I have a constant headache on my left side (left eye, teeth on upper left side). I have had it for many years now. It never ever goes away. The degree changes daily. Some days are better than others but the actual headache never leaves that left eye. I have been to an opthamologist who checked my optic nerve and she said it was perfect. Also, I usually stay stuffy on that side. I have been to a zillion doctors who have ordered CT scans, MRI's, bloodwork & every thing else known to man. They always tell me that everything looks fine and they can't really see a problem. I even had one of the molars on the upper left side removed because I was convinced that it was my tooth. That did not help. Finally, after going to my 4th ENT I came upon a doctor (ENT) in Ohio (I live in Alabama) who told me that my turbinates were malformed. So he performed a turbinate reduction surgery on me. It really helped for a few days but then slowly things went back to the way they were before. I am going back to Ohio to have another turbinate reduction by him next month (Jan.). I am hoping with all of my heart that it solves my problem. My question is: Is there anyone out there who has experienced the same symptoms? I feel like since the eye dr. cleared me and there doesn't seem to be any problems with my teeth and since I can narrow my pain down to above my mouth and exclusively on the left side including my left eye, left nostril, and teeth on the upper left jaw this must be the Ent's dept. Also, I forgot to mention that I have had 2 nerve blocks on that side and they have not helped at all. Doctor's have said that they do not believe that my problem is nerve related and neither do I. Is there anyone out there who has had these similar type symptoms and what helped them? ANY information that ANYONE can give me I would be SOOO very greatful for. I am tired of taking pain medication to get thru my day. There has got to be someone out there who has had a simillar situation!

Don · Joined: 23 Jun 2005 Posts: 258

Christie,
I have not ever had the problem you describe. I have had turbinate reduction done and it helped me immensely with my breathing. I also do not know of anyone that has had the symptoms you describe so I can't help there. What I would say though is this....don't give up... keep looking for the answer until you find it. Our daughter struggled through her junior high/high school years with a medical problem that was terribly painful and really pretty much ruined her high school experience. At one time we were sending out monthly checks to 23 different doctors, hospitals, clinics and specialists that we had taken her to for a three year time period. Finally an emergency room doctor said he thought it would a combination of two or more conditions that all linked together to cause the problems. He was right. He put her on birth control pills to make sure her hormones were correct. He found a surgeon that would perform surgery on a 17 year old girl for a non-functioning gall bladder as the first specialist said at her age he did not think that was the problem so her gall bladder was removed. He also believed she was hypoglycemic so he put her on a special diet. As it turned out. Her hormones were messed up and the birth control pills fixed that. Her gall bladder was not functioning at all and was causing problems. And, she was hypoglycemic and the special diet worked. Moral of the story is she is now just fine with three beautiful sons and a great husband. However, without our not giving up and a great doctor that was not going to give up until he had her fixed she would have had a time trying to live in this world.

Don't give up and keep looking. Looking for the right doctor and for the problem to be found.
Don

Christie · Joined: 22 Dec 2006 Posts: 2

Thank you so much Don for responding. I know what you mean about finding the right doctor. I've been to no less than probably 40 doctors (that count would include the ones that I've gone to multiple times but still that's ALOT of dr. visits) and most of them I feel like just listen to me for the 5 or 10 minutes that I am in their facility. After that, I leave and and they probably never think about me or my problem again. I went to 3 ENT's over the course of the last 5 years and not a single one of them ever told me that my turbinates were malformed and needed to be reduced! I don't know how you could come out of that many years of medical school and sub specialty and not know something that simple (b/c turbinate surgery is one of the simple things that ENT's do I believe) I was scrolling thru the posts and I wondered... did you have procedure #3 or #4 that EVIdaho (above) was describing? I believe that my doctor did #3 on me (when he did my turbinate reduction before) but if the description in the above post is correct then it sounds like maybe he should do #4 this time. What do you think? As I was on my way to the video store today I felt like the sunglasses that I was wearing were exacerbating my headache. The moment I lifted them up off of my nose I felt relief. Basically I think they were sitting right on that turbinate. The right side didn't bother me but as soon as I lifted them up I got a surge of relief on the left side. One of the problems that I run into is that alot of the doctors that I've seen don't like it when you (as the patient) ask them to do certain things or God forbid if you question anything they do. I can only imagine how my doctor in Ohio is going to act if I print that description off and ask him to do something that wasn't HIS idea. He's already very conservative. I don't have a problem with conservative but traveling around the country to see doctors is very expensive not to mention that I have 2 children in high school and middle school and I can't be gone all the time to re-do these procedures. I wonder why my doctor did the 3rd approach verses the 4th approach. I feel like a more aggressive approach is needed not only from a financial standpoint but because I'm soooo tired of being in pain. I can never commit to school or friends or hardly anyone because of this debilitating headache. Thank you so much for your kindness. I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas Smile

guest · Joined: 03 Apr 2006 Posts: 353

I had septoplasty and endoscopic turbinate reduction 2.5 years ago. I am 100% happy I had the surgery. I can't imagine being able to use cpap if I hadn't had the surgery. I mouth breathed when I laid down and also during exercise. My nose is much drier post surgery. I have to use humidiiers and nasal rinse everyday. On the upside I can smell everything now!

I know bone was removed during my surgery. I was curious which one of the methods in the first post i actually had?

After I had the surgery for several months I couldn't stand having any air blow on my nose, from the heater, wind anything. Other then that it was a pretty painless surgery.