So I’m getting a septoplasty in December and I am super nervous about it. I’m afraid it will hurt, I’ll wake up during the surgery or I’ll act stupid after waking up. I’m also afraid of being put under, despite having done it before.
I wasn’t originally this nervous, I was actually pretty excited after scheduling it. I’ve had a deviated septum all my life, but over the last three years have had chronic post nasal drip and a stuffy nose. It makes it hard to exercise and sleep at night since my sinuses are always clogged. That’s why I want this surgery, but also because I have an intense fear of throwing up, and this post nasal drip has been making me extremely nauseous lately. The only thing that relieves it is frequent saline rinsing.
Has anybody else felt like this? If you’ve had a septoplasty, how did it go?
I had septoplasty 3 years ago and they gave me only local anesthesia - meaning I was conscious during the procedure. Well, they also gave me something which made me pretty high to the point that I was actually chatting with the surgeon during the procedure. I know this sounds bad but it was quite okay actually. The staff were all very nice, they talked to me explaining what's happening the entire time which was very calming and creating trust. I didn't feel any pain, just... touch / pressure I guess?
After the procedure they stuffed my nose with tampons made of gauze wrapped in some kind of rubber. I had to keep this for 2 days. This was the worst part because I had to breathe through my mouth and also they stuffed it really deep and tight which made it pretty uncomfortable. I just read books and watched YouTube the whole time to distract myself. It was not fun but definitely manageable.
After they took out the tampons I was released to home and I got 2 weeks of sick leave. Honestly, I would do it again just for those 2 weeks.
I say, don't overthink it. If you expect pain, you will probably feel it. Try to trust the doctors and the process. They really know what they're doing.