I have had a badly deviated septum since an incident while deployed in 2003 and I basically cannot breathe through one entire nostril and the other side feels like it's not 100% either. It would be nice to be able to breathe normally again and not have to breathe through my mouth all the time. I had an ENT go "wow I can't get this scope up there because it's so bad".

I have been contemplating getting this fixed but wanted to see how other members here fared with it? Is it worth it? Was the recovery really long? I've heard of some rare instances where people have lost their sense of smell permanently? Did it improve your quality of life?

Anyone who has had this done, I'd love to hear your feedback on it.

Thanks!

I had the surgery done in 2007 but it was in conjunction with a lot of other work done at the same time so my recovery was a lot longer than most. My recovery time was 2-3 weeks before I was back to work, and 3-4 months before I could really tell a difference in breathing.

Prior to the surgery I did what you're doing now and getting information from people who had gone through it. In every case the answer was " a few days" to "a week". Why my recovery was so much longer is because there were 3 or 4 other issues that were corrected at the same time. When the same people asked why it took me so long to get better and I told them everything that was done, their responses were - "Oh.... yeah... no... I had just the one thing done."

So, if it's just the deviation you're having fixed, I would say expect up to a week of recovery - depending on how severe the issue is, of course. If you're getting the full Roto-Rooter package, expect your recovery time to be similar to what mine was.

Despite how long it took me to heal I'm really glad I had it done and would do so again without hesitation.

Hope it goes smooth for you!

Had repair done long time ago. My surgery was done under local. They were hammering (literaly) a tool up my nose to fix the deviated septum. Racoon eyes and clot balls out nostrils for a week or so. Been able to breathe normally for 40 years since.

Yep, I have had it done. I used to start having anxiety about time to go to bed, because I knew I was going to fight the "congestion".

Finally, I went to the ENT, deviated septum along with enlarged turbinates. Every time I would turn from one side to the other I could feel, the "congestion" flowing to the low side. Turns out it was blood flowing from one turbinate to the one on the low side, but felt like sinus fluids moving from one side to the other.

The surgery to fix both the deviation and the enlarged turbinates went as planned.

My doc is one of those that doesn't believe in packing, so I left the hospital with a long splint stitched inside each nostril, with one stitch I think, to keep it in place (didn't realize they were that long til later), plus a drip rag hanging under my nose to catch the blood.

After the bleeding stopped (about a day), of course my head still felt stopped up because of the dried blood and splints. Pretty miserable for the first week, not so much the second as you start rinsing with saline to wash the dried blood out. You want to just blow your nose like an elephant trumpeting, but DON'T DO IT!

Once he cuts that stitch on the splints which definitely hurt for a second, and pulls those long mofos out, you will wish you had done it Waaaaay sooner.

Good luck and definitely go get it done.

I had mine done in 2000. Recovery was painful, but well worth it. I would get sinus infections 4 times a year because it couldn't effectively drain. My recovery took almost a month because my Doctor straightened my septum, enlarged all of my drainage tubes connected to my ears/nose/throat, and cut off multiple polyps that had formed.

After I healed up, quality of life was greatly improved. My only downside is I can occasionally get choked up depending on the angle I hold my head and if I have any drainage. It was well worth it for me, but one tip is to make your own warm saline solution instead of anything in a bottle. The warm salt water feels much better in your tender nose.

I had septoplasty done some 30 years ago, in conjunction with ethmoidectomy. I had recurring sinus infections and the ethmoid bones were in bad shape. As my ENT doc said, "Your septum lists to starboard, we'll fix it while we're in there."

Recovery from the septoplasty was the easy part of the healing process. And yes, the splints in my nose were HUGE.

My breathing improved. My sense of smell improved. Sinus infections are fairly rare now. Overall, the work on my nose was one of the best things medicine has done for me.

My rhinoplasty was way back in 1979, the ENT said he would improve my breathing from a D- to a B. I would have gotten it sooner, but waited until I got a job with health insurance.

I spend a night in the hospital, don't remember much about the recovery which means it must have gone fine.

I had it done when I was 20....now 62. It was worth it. Friend of mine finally got his done, his surgery was like 3 hours long due to how bad his nose and septum were....it beat my 2 and half hour surgery....yeah mine was really bad too. The hardest part is the follow up where they remove the splints and packing and examine the interior. I swear that probe camera and light were going to come out the back of my head.

I had the sinus balloon procedure done a couple years ago and that was a life changer too. Really opened up my sinuses, and number of sinus infections I experienced each year dropped dramatically.

Both are worth it. Do the deviated septum surgery first and about 8 months to year later do the sinus balloon procedure if you need to.

Yes, three years ago at age 65 I had septoplasty surgery for 90 percent blockage on both sides. It was a life changing experience for me. No more mouth breathing during physical exercise, no more snoring, finally sleeping through the night without gagging and choking. Medicare covered the cost and recovery from surgery was really not an issue. I would have gladly paid out of pocket years earlier had I known what a difference it would make in my life.

Yes- I had mine done in 1984 with the splints up the nose. First couple of weeks were bad but in a few months I could notice the difference. Now I have the same problem on the same side. I will not have the procedure done again.

I had both nostrils done back in the 90's. It made a huge difference for me. The recovery was really nothing. Surgery on a Friday and I was back to work Tuesday.

I used to be a chronic sinus suffer. Sinus headaches that would last three weeks, one sinus infection would barely clear up and I will get a second sinus infection, etc. Then, I went and saw an ENT and they diagnosed me with having a deviated septum. It was so deviated that one side didn’t stand a chance of draining so it was always plugged. Additionally, the other side tried to make up for it so the turbinates grew to huge proportions to try to moisturize the air going in my nose. Therefore, I had to have a Deviated septum surgery and turbinate reduction surgery or I would’ve just been plugged up due to my turbinates. It’s been more than a fifteen years and only once or twice had a sinus infection since then which is a huge improvement.

I'd do it again. I won't sugar coat the recovery which was about 6 weeks and didn't have much skin left inside my nose so was on antibiotics for over a month. I did have a weird side effect from the extended antibiotic use which was the sorest sore throat of my life. Easter weekend my throat became so sore that I took a bite of Easter dinner, sprayed cloraseptic in my throat, ate a bite, sprayed, etc. Turned out the antibiotic killed a good bacteria that kept funguses in check, and the sore was a fungal infection so I had to go on an antifungal.

I had septoplasty with turbinate reduction around 10 years or so ago. Couldn't tell any real difference after the healing process was complete! Thankfully I didn't lose my sense of smell, but other than that bright spot, I wouldn't do it again. But that's just my 2¢ worth... everyone is different in how they respond to surgeries.

For example... in spring of 2009, I had cervical fusion (C4, 5, and 6) with titanium plate and screws. Tough recovery and ended up getting semi-addicted to the narcotic pain meds. Afterwards I felt better for maybe 6 months, then all of the original pain and other issues returned. It was a painful failure.

A few years later I had carpal tunnel surgery on both wrists, about a month apart. Best thing I ever did! Relief was near instantaneous, and the symptoms have never returned!

A few year after that was rotator cuff surgery on the left shoulder. Recovery to full range of motion took over a year, and I was starting to think it NEVER would! But it finally did and I've had zero issues with that side ever since. The other side needs to be done now but I'll put it off until no longer possible due to the horrific pain of PT, and the LONG recovery time I experienced first time around!

Most recent was very early 2022 when I had a full hip replacement. Apparently I had some very negative reactions to the anesthesia... or should I say the "waking up from it". I was supposedly very combative and uncooperative with the PT team that wanted to be sure I could walk and navigate stairs before I left the hospital. I don't remember any of that! I do remember arriving at home and walking up the front steps all by myself, no crutches or walkers or anything else. Not once did I need any type of supporting aid following that surgery! I was actually looking forward to getting the other side done when I ended up having a stroke, and that ended any hope of further surgeries for at least 6 months!

Anyway, this long-winded diatribe is to encourage you to just do your research through the medical profession, be aware of the possible setbacks, and then move forward with caution. What myself or anybody else experienced with a particular surgery should not really impact your decision as we all respond differently!

Hope this helps...

Had it done 12 years ago. My septum was crushed and folded like an accordion forming, "a perfectly engineered blockage" of my left nostril, according to the DR. Had it outpatient and the first 24 hours was miserable. Pain along with a really surprising amount of drainage made for a a very hard and sleepless night. Next morning went back in and they removed all the packing from my sinuses which helped a lot. Didn't lose sense of smell but the very tip of my nose remains a bit numb from the surgery, no big deal. Today, the blocked side remains constricted but not blocked so it's a positive outcome and would do it again.

I had it done in late ‘90s, in conjunction with a sleep apnea diagnosis. I’ve always been a mouth breather, and that didn’t change significantly. I do feel it helped in my use of a CPAP.
I had no particular problems with the surgery or recovery.
Wish I had done it earlier.