Sinus Surgery (cont.)
What happens before the surgery?
In most
situations, the surgery is performed as an outpatient at either the hospital or
the surgicenter. In both facilities, quality
care can be
provided without the expense and inconvenience of an overnight
stay. An anesthesiologist will monitor you
throughout the procedure. Usually, the anesthesiologist will review the medical
history before surgery, often the evening prior. If he or she is unable to reach
you the night before surgery, they will talk with you that morning. If your
doctor has ordered pre-operative laboratory studies, you should arrange to have
these done
several days in advance.
Arrange for someone to spend the first night after surgery
with you, if
possible.
After
surgery, your doctor will usually advise you to start using saline
irrigation. It is best to use a water pick for these
irrigations. You will
need to either purchase or borrow a water pick to start using
after
surgical wound packs have been removed. Your doctor will
instruct you on
how and when to start using your water pick irrigator. He will
also give
you a special device to attach to the water pick to make it
easier to use.
You should
not take aspirin, or any product containing aspirin, within 10 days prior to the
date of your surgery. Non- steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (such as
Advil) should not be taken within 7 days of the date of surgery. Many
over-the-counter products contain aspirin or Advil-like drugs. Therefore, it is
important to check all medications carefully. If there is any question please
call your doctor's office or consult your pharmacist. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is an
acceptable pain reliever. Usually your doctor will give you your
prescriptions for post-surgery pain medications at the
preoperative visit.
It is best to have these filled prior to the date of your
surgery.
You must not
eat or drink anything 6 hour prior to the time of surgery. This includes even
water, candy, or chewing gum. Anything in the stomach increases the chances of
an anesthetic complication. Smokers should make every effort to stop smoking, or at least reduce the number of
cigarettes.
This will help to reduce postoperative coughing and bleeding.
If you are
sick or have a fever the day before surgery, call
your
doctor. If you wake up sick the day of surgery, still proceed
to the
surgical facility as planned. Your doctor will decide if it is
safe to
proceed with surgery.
Next: What takes place the day of the surgery? »
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