Andy's Journey To Breathing Better: A "Broken" Nose Mended

Andy's Journey To Breathing Better - Balloon Sinuplasty And Turbinate ReductionAndy's Journey To Breathing Better - 1 & 3 Week Follow Up

account_circle

Reviewed by

verified

Published on

September 23, 2021

Updated on

June 9, 2022

Copy link

After Andy's initial visit and CT Scan, he was feeling a nervous excitement about his planned procedures to open up his sinuses.

During his procedure, his ADVENT Sinus and Sleep Surgeon Dr. Handler expertly navigated Andy's nasal passages and gave him the play-by-play. He narrated the entire event as he minimized the turbinates and performed the painless Balloon Sinuplasty.

Not painful, just weird - as Andy put it multiple times.

A little pinch here. Some pressure there. And just a few odd noises.

"Well that's the coolest sound ever," Andy reported. "See, now we're having fun!" Dr. Handler replied.

Post-Procedure: Aftercare of a Balloon Sinuplasty

Andy was pleasantly surprised by how little his recovery inconvenienced his daily routine.

"Just from the first time doing it, I can feel things are opening up."

His aftercare process looks a little like a recipe - a very simple recipe - to perform in the morning, afternoon, and evening.

Step 1: Sinus Rinse
2 squirts each nostril, let it drain

"No pain, just weird. Felt really good afterwards."

Step 2: Nasal Spray
Spray in nose by following instructions on boxStep 3: Antibacterial Ointment
Apply on the outside of the nose, do not apply to the septum

"Actually stopped the dripping, too. All in all, a very simple 3-step process, only took 2-3 minutes. And it feels really good after."

What's Next For Andy?

Within just hours, Andy is feeling relief, both physically and mentally. And it's only the beginning.

"The biggest challenge for me is my brain being okay with breathing through my nose because I haven't done it for 36 years. I'm actually really looking forward to it.

"I can already feel things opening up so I'm really optimistic for that whole process."

As with all ADVENT patients, Andy will visit the office again for 1, 3, 6 and 12-week follow ups. Will Andy be a changed man who breathes through his nose, or will his lifelong mouth-breathing continue to plague him? Find out what happens after the first seven days.