What is turbinate surgery?

Turbinoplasty and turbinectomy are nose surgeries. They can make it easier for you to breathe. You may have one of these surgeries if the turbinates in your nose are too large and block the airways in your nose. The turbinates help warm and moisten the air you breathe.

In a turbinoplasty, the turbinates are reshaped. In a turbinectomy, some or all of them are cut out.

Both surgeries are done through the nose.

Most people go home a few hours after surgery. You will be able to go back to work or school in about 1 week. You'll probably get back to your normal routine in about 3 weeks. But this varies with your job and the extent of your surgery. It will take about 1 to 2 months before you are back to normal.

Other types of nose surgery are sometimes done at the same time. If this is the case, your instructions and what to expect may be different.

Surgery can be stressful. This information will help you understand what you can expect. And it will help you safely prepare for surgery.

Preparing for surgery

• Be sure you have someone to take you home. Anesthesia and pain medicine will make it unsafe for you to drive or get home on your own.
• Understand exactly what surgery is planned, along with the risks, benefits, and other options.
• If you take a medicine that prevents blood clots, your doctor may tell you to stop taking it before your surgery. Or your doctor may tell you to keep taking it. (These medicines include aspirin and other blood thinners.) Make sure that you understand exactly what your doctor wants you to do.
• Tell your doctor ALL the medicines, vitamins, supplements, and herbal remedies you take. Some may increase the risk of problems during your surgery. Your doctor will tell you if you should stop taking any of them before the surgery and how soon to do it.
• Make sure your doctor and the hospital have a copy of your advance directive. If you don’t have one, you may want to prepare one. It lets others know your health care wishes. It’s a good thing to have before any type of surgery or procedure.

Activity

• Rest when you feel tired. Getting enough sleep will help you recover. Do not lie flat. Raise your head with three or four pillows. This can reduce swelling. Try to sleep on your back during the month after surgery. You can also sleep in a reclining chair.
• Try to walk each day. Start by walking a little more than you did the day before. Bit by bit, increase the amount you walk. Walking boosts blood flow and helps prevent pneumonia and constipation. Also try to sit and stand as much as you can.
• For 1 week, try not to bend over or lift anything heavier than 10 pounds. This may include heavy grocery bags and milk containers, a heavy briefcase or backpack, cat litter or dog food bags, a vacuum cleaner, or a child.
• You can take a shower or bath. Use lukewarm, not hot, water.
• Avoid strenuous activities, such as biking, jogging, weight lifting, or aerobic exercise, for 1 week or until your doctor says it is okay.
• You may drive when you are no longer taking prescription pain medicine and feel up to it.
• You will probably be able to return to work or school in about 1 week and to your normal routine in about 3 weeks. However, this varies with your job and how much surgery you had.

Diet

• You can eat your normal diet. If your stomach is upset, try bland, low-fat foods like plain rice, broiled chicken, toast, and yogurt.
• You may notice that your bowel movements are not regular right after your surgery. This is common. Try to avoid constipation and straining with bowel movements. You may want to take a fiber supplement every day. If you have not had a bowel movement after a couple of days, ask your doctor about taking a mild laxative.

Medicines

• Your doctor will tell you if and when you can restart your medicines. You also will be given instructions about taking any new medicines.
• If you stopped taking aspirin or some other blood thinner, your doctor will tell you when to start taking it again.
• Do not take aspirin, aspirin-containing medicines, or anti-inflammatory medicines such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve) for 3 weeks following surgery unless your doctor says it is okay.
• Be safe with medicines. Take pain medicines exactly as directed.
  • If the doctor gave you a prescription medicine for pain, take it as prescribed.
  • Do not take two or more pain medicines at the same time unless the doctor told you to. Many pain medicines have acetaminophen, which is Tylenol. Too much acetaminophen (Tylenol) can be harmful.
• If your doctor prescribed antibiotics, take them as directed. Do not stop taking them just because you feel better. You need to take the full course of antibiotics.
• If you think your pain medicine is making you sick to your stomach:
  • Take your medicine after meals (unless your doctor has told you not to).
  • Ask your doctor for a different pain medicine.

Incision care

• You may have a drip pad under your nose to collect mucus and blood. Change it only when it bleeds through. You may have to do this every hour for 24 hours after surgery. When bleeding stops, you can remove it.
• If you have packing in your nose, leave it in. Your doctor will take it out.

Ice and elevation

• To help with swelling and pain, put ice or a cold pack on your nose for 10 to 20 minutes at a time. Put a thin cloth between the ice and your skin.
• Sleep with your head raised with three or four pillows. This can reduce swelling. You can also sleep in a reclining chair.

Other instructions

• Do not blow your nose for 1 week after surgery, or until your doctor says it is okay.
• Do not put anything into your nose.
• If you must sneeze, open your mouth and sneeze naturally.
• Keep your mouth clean. Rinse your mouth with salt water or a nonalcohol mouthwash after each meal and before bedtime.
• Use saline (saltwater) nasal washes to help keep your nasal passages open and wash out mucus and dried blood. You can buy saline nose sprays at a grocery store or drugstore. Follow the instructions on the package. Or you can make your own at home. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of baking soda to 2 cups of distilled or boiled and cooled water. Fill a squeeze bottle with the nasal wash. Then put the tip into your nostril, and lean over the sink. With your mouth open, gently squirt the liquid. Repeat on the other side.
• You can wear your glasses when you wish. Do not wear contacts until the day after the surgery.
• Do not travel by airplane for at least 2 weeks. Your sinuses are still healing, and the changes in air pressure can affect them.