4 Recovery Tips for Septum Surgery

Any surgery is a difficult thing for the human body to manage, but with the right doctors and the right advice, you can come through a surgery and recover well. One of the hard surgeries to go through is a septum surgery; any surgery that involves the face is hard going for most people! A septum surgery – or Septoplasty – is a procedure recommended for those who are dealing with a deviated nasal septum and this is the thin wall that separates the right and left nostrils. This line is straight, made up of cartilage and bone and is lined with a thin membrane of mucous. The septum is located in the middle of the nose, but this isn’t the case for those who are dealing with a deviated septum. When the septum is bent a certain way or off-center, septum surgery is usually recommended. The septum surgery is performed by an ENT doctor and it’s sole job is to repair and straighten the septum. This will clear the obstruction in the nasal passages, enabling you to breathe better and stop snoring. Those who are always dealing with sinus issues will benefit from this surgery, too. You may not need to be hospitalized for this surgery, but the recovery is still not always a walk in the park. It can take up to eight weeks to fully recover from septum surgery, so the four tips below will help you to get through that recovery time quickly!

Rest as much as possible

As much as possible, you need to rest. Once you’re home from the hospital, it should be the first priority for you to go to bed and get some rest. Propping yourself with pillows is the smartest idea when you are home from the surgery, as you need to keep your head elevated to prevent any accumulating fluid from building up in the tissues. This will also reduce swelling that has already occurred. Resting is vital to recovery, and you may need someone to help you to get out of bed as you need to. You should also remember to be gentle with yourself when using the bathroom – straining is going to be a problem for your nose to recover so get a stool softener to avoid post-op constipation.

Don’t forget to ice

Your nose won’t be the only swollen area on the face. Your lips, eyes, cheeks and forehead may swell and an ice pack can help the swelling to come down. Swelling is normal for most people so ice can help to reduce it and also speed up bruising recovery.

Check your dressings

Your dressings will need to be changed and while it’s normal to bleed after septum surgery, you should change your dressings only when they are saturated with blood. You may need to change the dressings hourly on the first day or so when you’re home from surgery, and no matter what you do for pain relief, avoid any anti-inflammatories for at least three weeks post-op.

Be cognizant of irritants

Your ENT doctor should give you a time frame for going back to work or school, but it’s important that you are resting for at least a week post-op. You want to make sure that you are fully recovered before being in a stressful environment. If you wear glasses, you’ll need to wait to wear them until the swelling is gone, too, for your comfort.