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

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 box

Step 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.

But he’s not out of the woods quite yet. Even as his body begins to heal and adjust, the mental work will begin as he tries to re-train his brain and body to breathe through his nose.

“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.