Septoplasty and/or FESS Post-operative Information
Note: The below information is NOT relevant if you have had a rhinoplasty in addition to the above procedures. Please see Rhinoplasty Post-Op information.
DO NOT flush your nose in the first week following Rhinoplasty.
Diet
You can consume a normal diet but for the first 48 hrs do not have very hot or spicy foods or hot cups of tea or coffee to minimise the risk of bleeding (warm drinks ok).
Medication
Take pain relief as required. It is normal to feel pain along the bottom end of the nose and the upper lip/ teeth after Septoplasty. This usually settles over the first week but can persist for several months to a lesser severity in people that need a lot of bony work at the front of the nose.
Take prescribed antibiotics.
Start FLO saline nasal rinse the second day after your surgery. Use a full bottle on each side of your nose twice a day (4 bottles a day) for 2 weeks. Read the instructions with the bottle or YouTube its use if unsure. It takes a few days to master. Do not sniff the saline up or it will go down your throat. Squeeze the bottle and rinse it through and out the other nostril. It will take a few days for the rinse to flow through nicely because of the packing present. It will initially come out the same nostril. Be patient. Your packing is dissolving and will break down and be blown out with the rinse.
General Instructions
Nose blowing can start the day after leaving the hospital after each FLO rinse, but do not blow one side at a time or compress the nostrils to blow as this generates a back pressure and can affect your result. This is especially important after FESS. Normal blowing can commence after 2 weeks.
Your nose will be blocked for the first week.
If you are concerned you are developing an infection especially following FESS (increasing pain, lethargy, fever, yellow-green nasal discharge) please contact your surgeon within 24hrs.
Frontal pain following significant FESS surgery for the first 10-14 days is not uncommon but if very uncomfortable or worsening beyond 14 days contact your surgeon.
Showers should be warm (not hot) for the first week following your surgery and you should not have a bath so as to reduce the risk of bleeding.
It is normal to have some light blood mixed with mucous (and a lot of red mush the first few days – this is the packing) come from the nose or some old dark clots come out over the first 2 weeks. Larger amounts of bright red bleeding is not normal and your surgeon should be contacted.
Do not do any strenuous activity or exercise for the 2 weeks after your surgery. Alcohol should also not be consumed for this time period. Smoking is allowed but you should be aware that smoking has a significant effect on nasal function and healing and if possible should be avoided.
No aircraft flight in the first 2 weeks.
If any significant fresh bleeding occurs firstly contact your surgeon at the rooms, if in business hours on 03 9347 0680 or for after-hours contact the relevant hospital where you had your surgery. If you are a private patient of Dr Jumeau the Nurse Manager may speak to you before passing a message onto him. If you had your surgery in a public hospital you may speak to, or present to, the emergency department. You will be assessed by them and this may involve management with the hospital ENT team.
If bleeding is profuse and you need to go to emergency make sure the emergency staff contact your surgeon or the hospital ENT team before starting any treatment if possible. This may otherwise effect your surgical result long term.
Follow Up
Make an appointment to see your surgeon in the rooms about 2 weeks after the surgery. Please make an appointment don’t just turn up. Contact 03 9347 0680.
It is normal to still feel some nasal blockage prior to this appointment and Dr Jumeau will check your nose is not crusting too much. Please stay on vigorous FLO rinses until this time.
If any non-urgent queries please contact the rooms on 03 9347 0680.
How to contact me
During business hours
Contact Raelene, my secretary. She will know where I am and how soon I’m available.
Phone: 03 9347 0680
Email: [email protected]
Email only if non-urgent. Emails after 5pm are not read until the next business day.
For public patients, please contact the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital (RVEEH) at (03) 9929 8666 and ask to speak to the Rhinology Fellow. They work with me directly and will likely have been involved in your case.
After hours/weekends
Please contact the Epworth on (03) 9483 3833
Do this regardless of which Epworth campus you had your surgery.
State you have had surgery with me, and your post-op instructions specify the Epworth will message Dr Jumeau if needed. They are familiar with this. If you have not heard back within an hour or two, call them again, as I endeavour to get back to everyone as promptly as I can. Don’t call Epworth Hawthorn as it is a Day Surgery and not open outside business hours.
For public patients, contact the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital and ask to speak to the ENT registrar on call (03) 9929 8666
Emergency
If you are bleeding profusely, have badly damaged your nose or have an emergency unrelated to your nose (Car accident, chest pain, etc.), attend your nearest emergency department or call an ambulance and notify me as soon as you can. I prefer to have you or a family member call me as soon as possible in these circumstances for me to help guide what you do and what gets done at Emergency to not damage your nose. Make sure somebody lets me know. Emergency staff will not always call. Have a phone on you so I can stay in contact as needed.
