What is done if I have to have sinus surgery?
You should first understand that I am not a surgeon, so this is from the perspective of someone who has seen the surgery, and had the surgery done, but who doesn’t do the surgery himself. The surgery, called functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS), may be done either under local anesthesia or general anesthesia. Many very experienced sinus surgeons prefer to use local anesthesia. The operation generally takes approximately 2-3 hours. During that period of time, the ear, nose and throat doctor will do any one of a number of things including: straightening the septum (the bone and cartilage separating the two sides of your nose), making an opening into the sinus(es) on either side of the nose so that drainage can occur more effectively, and possibly remove some of the inflamed lining of the sinuses. The number of sinuses which need to be opened up depends on the nature of your problem. (For a better understanding, look at the CT scan section after you finish the FAQ page) The surgeon
