Patient Guide
After endoscopic sinus surgery.
What to expect and what to do in the days and weeks after endoscopic sinus surgery. This is general guidance for patients of this practice: the written instructions you received for your operation take precedence over anything on this page.
Updated
General guidance only. Your own written post-operative instructions, and anything Dr. Khetani's office tells you directly, take precedence.
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Contact the office promptly, or seek emergency care, for any of these
A fever, clear watery drainage from your nose, changes in vision, swelling of the eyes, a worsening headache, or neck stiffness. Call the office at (905) 639-2244 during office hours. If you cannot reach the office, or symptoms are severe or getting worse, do not wait for a call back: go to your nearest emergency department or call 911.
Your recovery, in order
- The first days Mild bleeding and light bloody discharge
- When instructed Saline rinses begin
- Until you are cleared No nose-blowing, lifting or straining
- Only once discussed Restarting aspirin
- In the following weeks Thick brownish drainage as the sinuses clear
- As the office schedules The first follow-up visits
- Then at set intervals Healing is monitored
Each stage links to the section that explains it in full. Your own written instructions, and anything the office tells you directly, come first.
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The Early Days
What is normal after this operation.
Expect some mild bleeding from your nose in the first days, and again after each office debridement. This is generally a nuisance rather than a serious problem. If blood runs down the front of your nose or the back of your throat, sit upright, keep your head straight, and breathe gently through your nose. If bleeding persists for an extended period, contact the office.
As the sinuses begin to clear themselves in the weeks after surgery, expect some thick brownish drainage from your nose. That is mucus and old blood working its way out; it does not by itself mean infection.
Some discomfort is normal as the inflammation settles. Take your pain medication as your surgical team directs. Taking your pain medication before a post-operative visit can make the early visits more comfortable. If a medication makes you drowsy, have someone else drive you.
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The Rules That Matter
Do this. Not that.
Do
The habits that help the nose heal open.
- Rinse with saline on the schedule your surgical team gives you. Rinsing helps clear dissolvable packing and old blood, and it matters more than any other single step.
- Expect light bloody nasal discharge in the first days. It is part of normal healing.
- Continue any antibiotics exactly as prescribed unless the office tells you otherwise. If antibiotics cause diarrhea, contact the office.
- Keep every scheduled follow-up visit, even if you feel well.
Don't
The habits that start nosebleeds and slow healing.
- Don't blow your nose until your surgical team tells you it is fine.
- Don't bend, lift or strain until your surgical team says you can; these can start nosebleeds. Hold off on rigorous activity until healing is complete and you have been cleared.
- Don't suppress a cough or a sneeze; let it out with your mouth open.
- Don't restart aspirin or aspirin-containing products until you have discussed it with the office.
And the symptoms that are not part of normal healing
A fever, clear watery drainage, vision changes, eye swelling, a worsening headache or neck stiffness are not on either list above. What to do about them →
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Aftercare Visits
Why the follow-up visits are part of the operation.
Post-operative visits are an indispensable part of sinus surgery: they promote healing and help prevent the disease from persisting or returning. The office will tell you when your visits are. At these visits, the nose and sinuses may be debrided. Debridement means gently clearing crusts, mucus and absorbable packing so the healing cavities stay open. You may want a family member to accompany you to these visits.
After the first visits, further visits continue at intervals the office sets while healing is monitored. Continued debridement may be performed as needed, along with removal of persistent inflammation or scar tissue.
These visits are scheduled as part of your surgery. Keep them even if you feel completely well; how the inside of the nose is healing is not something you can judge from symptoms alone.
Unsure about something in your recovery?
Call the office with post-operative questions. For the urgent symptoms listed above, use emergency care rather than waiting for a call back.
Calls are answered promptly at any hour by the practice's AI phone assistant, which records what you need and flags post-operative concerns to the office team; you can always ask for a person. How calls are handled.
Related Patient Information
Keep reading.
Dr. Justin Khetani · Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery · 1435 Plains Rd E, Unit 5, Burlington, ON L7R 3P9 · ENT office (905) 639-2244