Swelling after septoplasty? Is it normal to have absolutely no airflow after 1 week?

Question

I am 1 week post septorhinoplasty and have absolutely no airflow through my nose due to my septum being swollen both sides filling the whole of my nostrils. I understand swelling is normal, but is it normal to have absolutely no airflow after 1 week? I have trauma to the throat from the breathing pipe which makes it hard to eat/sleep and feel like it’s going to struggle to heal while I’m always breathing out of my mouth. I’m using nasal sprays, what can I do to ease septum swelling?

Jon Kurkjian, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. 
With any nasal surgery, the name of the game is patience. At one week, we would expect you to have quite a bit of swelling and bruising still noticeable and may have trouble breathing out of one or both nostrils. By the end of two weeks, typically, you will still be swollen but look more like you have a bad cold, rather than post surgical. Swelling can take up to a year to be completely gone, however, by 9 weeks you will look very good and should see big difference from your pre-op pics.

Benjamin C. Paul, MD · Answer

Go see your surgeon. Hopefully, you are full of mucus, blood, or crusts that can be removed. Maybe you are simply swollen. Either way, you should get evaluated to make sure you are healing normally and to optimize your breathing in your early recovery. Best of luck.

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