Ongoing bad smell in nose 21 months later - what could this be?

Question

I had a Septoplasty/Rhinoplasty and turbinate reduction in Nov of 2020. I still had a bad smell in my nose at my 6 month post op appointment, it was treated with an antibiotic but the odor persisted. My surgeon didn’t think it was a big issue so I didn’t let him know it never went away. One year post-op, I told them again that the odor never subsided. He said everything looked good and chalked it up to allergies. Treated with a steroid, but smell still persists now sadly. At a loss.

Caner Kacmaz, MD · Answer

Thank you for your questıon.
After the surgery ıt ıs possıble to experıence odor whıch ıs caused by scabs or secretıons due to the surgery. This can be easily treated by using nasal sprays to clean your nose.
If the odor continues for more than 3 months which is what you are experiencing, we suspect infection. You need to make an appointment with your ENT doctor and get examined properly so he can prescribe you the most accurate antibiotics. Good luck with everything

Ongoing bad smell in nose 21 months later - what could this be?

Answers (1)