Dr. Shah obtained his BA/MD from Boston University and completed his Otolaryngology residency at Tufts University followed by a fellowship in Pediatric Otolaryngology at Children's Hospital Boston at Harvard University. After fellowship, he joined the faculty of Children's National Medical Center in 2006. Dr. Shah is an active clinical researcher and has received numerous awards for his research.
Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.
The following information is provided to help individuals prepare for sinus
surgery and to help them understand more clearly the associated benefits, risks,
and complications of sinus surgery. People are encouraged to ask their doctor
any questions to help them better understand the the procedure.
Sinus surgery involves the precise removal of diseased sinus tissue with the
improvement in the natural drainage channels by the creation of a pathway for
infected material to drain from the sinus cavities. In most situations, the
surgeon will employ endoscopic techniques which allow better and more precise
visualization without the need for external incisions. As a result, there is
less swelling, bleeding, and discomfort, and a faster recovery from sinus
surgery.
Sinus surgery, unlike other types of surgery where a diseased part or organ
is removed, involves the re-routing of existing sinus pathways in addition to
removal of diseased tissue. It cannot be emphasized more strongly that
post-operative care is as equally important as the surgery itself. One of the
most common causes of failure of this procedure is poor post-operative care and
follow-up. Your doctor can only do so much. It is up to the patient to share in
the responsibility of caring for this chronic illness. The following
instructions are designed to help patients recover from sinus surgery as easily
as possible and to prevent complications. It is very important that patients
read these instructions or those provided by their surgeon and follow them
carefully.
Picture of the anatomy of the sinuses
What are the risks and complications of sinus surgery?
The following complications of sinus surgery have been reported in the
medical literature. This list is not meant to be inclusive of every possible
complication. It is here for patient information only - not to make patients
overly concerned - but to make them aware and more knowledgeable concerning
potential aspects of sinus surgery. The surgeon will review the risks and
benefits of the surgery when obtaining consent for the operation, and will be
able to discuss the chance of these complications with respect to an
individual's potential risks of surgery at that time.
Bleeding. In very rare situations, a need for blood products or a
blood
transfusion may be required. Patients have the right, should they choose, to
have autologous (using their own stored blood) or designated donor blood
prepared in advance in case an emergency transfusion is necessary. Patients are
encouraged to consult with their doctor regarding these issues if they are
interested.
Chronic nasal drainage or excessive dryness or crusting of the nose.
Need for further and more aggressive surgery.
Need for allergy evaluation, treatments, or environmental controls. Surgery
is not a cure for or a substitute for good allergy control or treatment.
Failure to improve or resolve concurrent respiratory illness such as, but
not limited to, asthma,
bronchitis, or
cough.
Failure to resolve associated
"sinus or nasal" headaches. The exact cause
of headaches can be difficult to determine or have many different causes.
The patient or physician may require consultation with another specialist
such as a neurologist.
Damage to the eye and its associated structures.
Damage to the skull base with resultant
meningitis, brain abscess, or
leakage of spinal fluid.
Permanent numbness of the upper teeth, palate, or face.
Nasal obstruction due to failure to control infection or polyps.
Prolonged pain, impaired healing, and the need for hospitalization.
Failure to restore or worsening of the sense of smell or taste.
Sinus infection (sinusitis) signs and symptoms include headache, fever, and facial tenderness, pressure, or pain. Treatments of sinus infections are generally with antibiotics and at times, home remedies.
Allergic rhinitis symptoms include an itchy, runny nose, sneezing, itchy ears, eyes, and throat. Seasonal allergic rhinitis (also called hay fever) is usually caused by pollen in the air. Perennial allergic rhinitis is a type of chronic rhinitis and is a year–round problem, often caused by indoor allergens, such as dust, animal dander, and pollens that may exist at the time. Treatment of chronic rhinitis and post nasal drip are dependant upon the type of rhinitis condition.
The common cold (viral upper respiratory tract infection) is a contagious illness that may be caused by various viruses. Symptoms include a stuffy nose, headache, cough, sore throat, and maybe a fever. Antibiotics have no effect upon the common cold, and there is no evidence that zinc and vitamin C are effective treatments.
Influenza (flu) is a respiratory illness caused by a virus. Flu symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, headache, fatigue, and muscle aches. The flu may be prevented with an annual influenza vaccination.
Sinus headache is caused by a sinus infection or inflammation of the sinus cavities. The primary symptom of a sinus infection is pain and increasing pressure overlying the area and associated tenderness to the touch. Treatment of a sinus headache depends on the cause.
A deviate septum is a condition in which the bone and cartilage that divide the nasal cavity of the nose in half (nasal septum) is significantly off center or crooked. The causes of a deviated septum can be congenital, or develop after a trauma or injury to the nose. Symptoms of a deviated septum include nasal congestion, recurrent sinus infections, nosebleeds, headache, facial pain, postnasal drip, snoring, and loud breathing. A deviated septum can be relieved with medications, and if necessary surgery, called a septoplasty.
The common cold is a self-limited contagious illness that can be caused by a number of different types of viruses. The common cold is medically referred to as a viral upper respiratory tract infection. Symptoms of the common cold may include
cough, sore throat, nasal congestion, runny nose, and sneezing. More than 200 different types of viruses are known to cause the common cold, with rhinovirus causing approximately 30%-35%
of all adult colds. Other commonly implicated viruses include
coronavirus,
adenovirus, respiratory syncytial virus, and
parainfluenza virus. Because so
many different viruses can cause a cold and because new cold viruses constantly
develop, the body never builds up resistance against all of them. For this
reason, colds are a frequent and recurring problem. In fact, children in
preschool and elementary school can have six to 12 colds per year while adolescents and adults typically have two...
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