Aftersinussurgeryitisimportanttokeepyoursinuscavitiesclean.

Debristhatdevelopsinyournose
(driedbloodandmucus)mustberemovedtopromotehealingandpreventformationofscartissue
whichcanblockthesinusopenings.Thisblockagemayresultinpersistentorrecurrentsinusinfection.
Themostefficientwaytokeepthisdebristoaminimumisbysinusirrigation.Yourlong-termoutcome
willbedependentonhowwellyoukeepyoursinuscavitiesclean.

Mildbleedingandoozingfromyournoseispartofthenormalhealingprocessforthefirstfewdays
aftersinussurgery.Thesinusopeningsandmucosalmembranesaresomewhatraw.Youshouldreview
theaccompanyingepistaxis(nosebleed)informationsheettooptimizehealingandpreventexcessive
bleeding.Ifbleedingacceleratesanddoesnotrespondtotheconservativemeasuresoutlinedonthe
sheet,thennotifyyourphysician.Duringthefirstweekaftersurgery,keepyournasalpassagesmoistby
usingOceannasalsprayseveraltimesdaily.

Startingoneweekaftersurgery,salineirrigationshouldbegin.Anyofthefollowingareacceptable:
infant(bluebulb)earsyringewithsalinesolution,sinusirrigatingkits,orWaterPicdentalirrigation
devicewithsinusirrigatingattachment.Themostimportantpointisfrequentirrigations(2-3timesper
day)untilallsinusopeningshavehealed.

Ifyouchoosetomixyourownsaline,oneteaspoonsaltandoneteaspoonbakingsodashouldbemixed
withonequartofwater.Pour14to12cupmixtureintoacleanbowlorjar.Irrigatefromthissource,
butdonotputtheusedsyringebackintoyoursalinejarorbowlasthiswillcontaminateyoursolution.
Forcomfort,watertemperatureshouldapproximatethatofbodytemperature.Youshoulddiscardany
remainingsolutionafteroneweekandstartwithnewmixture.

Technique:Standoverasinkwithyourheadbentforward.Whileirrigating,fluidwillreturnthrough
bothnostrilsanddownthebackofyourthroat.Letthewatercomebackoutofyournoseandmouth.
Trynottoswallowthefluid.Alternatebetweensideswhileirrigating.Whenfinished,leanforwardto
allowthefluidtodrainoutyournose.Donotbealarmedifsomeofthefluiddoesnotcomeoutuntil
later.

IfyouwereusingatopicalsteroidspraysuchasFlonase,Veramyst,Nasacort,RhinocortorNasonex
priortosurgery,thenyoushouldgenerallyrestartyoursprayoneweekaftersurgery.Aftercompleting
yourmorningirrigation,applytwospraystopicalsteroidtoeachnasalcavity.

Pleasescheduleanappointmenttoseeyourdoctoroneweekaftersurgery.

Austin ENT Associates | Austin: (512) 4586391 | Round Rock: (512) 3882217