Sinus Surgery - What Are The Risks Of Sinus Surgery? - Nurse's Report

Sinus Surgery - What Are The Risks Of Sinus Surgery? - Nurse's Report

If you're thinking about undergoing sinus surgery to cure your sinus problems there are a few risks and complications to consider.  You want to know what you're getting into before you undergo any type of surgery because there are always risks. You may have been suffering for years with sinusitis, sinus headaches, chronic sinus infections and/or other symptoms including pressure, pain and congestion and you need relief.

Besides the specific risks of this surgery if you're going to go under a general anesthetic or local anesthetic you'll have specific risks to consider depending on the anesthesia used and there may be side effects of the anesthesia and medications used during surgery.

The most common minor and major complications that are associated with any type of sinus surgery are post operative bleeding from the nose, infection and scar formation.

Bleeding from the nose can be taken care of with packing in your sinus doctor's office or clinic. And minor sinus scar formation can be taken care of by your doctor also. Also be aware that sinusitis or other sinus problems may reoccur.

Brain injuries can be caused by a fluid leak from the lining of the brain into the nose and additional surgery may be needed to fix it. Fracture or injury to the bone that separates the bone from the sinuses revealing an opening can cause a cerebrospinal fluid leak out of the base of the skull, which is traumatic to the tissue layers that surround the brain. This may lead to meningitis, a brain infection.

Injury to the eye orbit is not common but is nevertheless a risk.  There have been reports of double vision and blindness from this sinus surgery. Visual loss and visual changes can take place because of the close proximity of the eyes to the sinus cavities. Injury can also occur to the eye muscles and the optic nerve. Bleeding can occur into the back of the eye also and can affect vision if not tended to right away.

If the sinuses in the cheek (maxillary sinus) are opened by an incision made under the lip this can cause the cheek to feel numb or uncomfortable due to an injury to the sensory nerve.

Post operative scar formation may require further surgeries to remove the scar tissue.

To make matters worse, there may be a failure to correct the problems or get rid of the symptoms you're having. And the surgery is no guarantee this will not happen.  In fact with the risks and complications you may actually feel worse or have more problems because of the sinus surgery.

Most of the major complications only occur in some cases. There may be fewer complications as time goes by because of advances in techniques and surgical equipment but it's not a surgery to take lightly. It's a fairly common surgery however many people say that the surgery did not help them solve their sinus problems.

Talking to people who have had this surgical operation and finding out their outcome may help you decide. However no two situations are going to be the same.  It's best to seek out a natural treatment that will work for you.  There have been many people who have considered sinus surgery and changed their minds when they finally found a natural sinus treatment that worked.

copyright©2008 Helen Hecker All rights reserved, No permission is given to copy or reproduce this arrticle in any way or in any form.