When most people think of nose surgery they generally think about plastic surgery to make the nose look better, or more visually pleasing. This is generally called rhinoplasty and should not be confused with deviated septum surgery or septoplasty.

Septoplasty is used more often when you experience breathing problems and this was the case for me when I had my deviated septum surgery. In the middle of your nose is the septum which is a piece of cartilage which seperates the two halves of your nose or nostrils. Sometimes this septum deviates to one side or the other and blocks the passageway for air to get through to the lungs easily. In my case, the left nostril was blocked and I noticed it affected my cardiovascular health when I was playing rugby and squash.

With rhinoplasty, the septum may be surgically altered as well, but the main focus is on reshaping the look of the nose. In septoplasty the shape of the nose is not usually considered but rather the septum is surgically altered so that it can fit better in the nose and you can start breathing again more naturally, freely and easily.

Deviated septum surgery usually takes place under a general anaesthetic and that would be my recommendation and how I had my surgery. Generally the surgery will last around 60 minutes to an hour and a half. The surgery itself is fairly common and doesn’t carry a lot of risks with it, though the technology of this surgery has improved remarkably since I had mine done about 20 years ago.

What I should say is that the actual surgery is still pretty similar but the post operative care is a little different now. During my deviated septum surgery recovery, my nose, both sides of nostrils and nasal cavities were packed with gauze to help impede excessive bleeding. About 2 days after my surgery, the gauze was removed and it felt like someone was pulling out my brains. It felt kind of like my brain was wet noodles being pulled out from my nostrils.

All in all, about 2 to 3 feet of gauze was pulled out of each nostril. It wasn’t painful, just a very weird sensation. Thankfully nowadays that is hardly every the case. Usually what happens now is that during the operation at the end, the insert plastic splints on each side of your now straight septum to help keep it aligned while your nose and septum become reacquainted and reheal back together.

These splints look like the side view of a pregnant woman’s torso from the neck to just below the belly. Oftentimes they are attached with just a stitch or two to the inside of your nose and they are removed about a week to 10 days later.

Your doctor will likely inform you of how to properly care for your nose after deviated septum surgery, but generally I have found the following recovery tips to be helpful.

1. Don’t blow your nose for a few days afterwards. The nose and mucous membranes inside the nose are thin and filled with blood vessels. They’ve just been assaulted so you should take care to let them heal properly.

2. Don’t sneeze if you can help it. If you can’t help it, sneeze with your mouth as open as possible to alleviate the pressure that builds up in the nasal cavities during sneezing.

3. Wipe your nose gently around the outside and just the first eighth of an inch inside with a warm, damp, soft cloth if you need to clean it.

4. If your nose starts bleeding I have found that tilting my head back and gently pinching my nose between my eyes helps to stop the blood flow. You can also try lying down with your head propped up on a low pillow.

5. Be careful when you first stand up after surgery. Take your time and get close to a chair or bed. I fainted the first time I got up after surgery and that was the first and only time that I have ever fainted. So get up slowly and carefully the first few times.

Those are the main tips I have for you during your deviated septum surgery recovery. Above all else, listen to your doctor. And if I can leave you with some parting advice. Deviated septum surgery is not a big deal. It’s okay to be a bit anxious, but this is a fairly routing surgery nowadays and your recovery will be quick and relatively painless. In fact I don’t remember experiencing much post operative pain at all. Take a deep breath and compare it to the deep breath you’ll be able to take a few weeks after your septoplasty. Big difference hey?