Sinus obliteration procedure

[RumBum]

My husband (SB=ChrisPete) had a fractured skull about 10 years ago and has had worsening chronic sinus headaches. So we finally went to an ENT with CT films this week. The ENT feels that "this is beyond severe and into extreme sinus disease" and he feels the solution will be a complete frontal sinus obliteration. We are starting with antibiotics and will seek a second opinion before doing anything rash.
IF he has to have that procedure, will he be able to dive after recovery?
Thanks in advance,
Melissa

ps - if you know a wonderful diving ENT in Austin/Houston/Dallas...

 

[LOOPS]

That is definitely a question for a physician. I hope he would still be able to dive but that sounds like major surgery. Good luck to you!


Cheers!
Charley
www.divers-supply.com

 

[cerich]

I know of an excellent ent in LA that has loads of experience with Divers and pilots

I'll dig up his contact info

 

[fisherdvm]

I'll bet he'll be able to dive fine. My guess is that they will just open the whole sinus up and allow it to drain. Left alone, it might cause more symptoms while diving than simply getting rid of it.

Sounds like your ENT doc can describe the procedure better. Have you tried to google the procedure?

 

[cudachaser]

Years ago in high school, I got in the way of a fast moving fist. The punch kinda collapsed my sinus passage. When I first started diving, my maximillary sinus...don't remember what side...gave me fits. I finally went to a diver ENT in college...He literally reamed my sinuses out and they worked perfect...then about 20 years later I developed sinus polyps...after the surgury the surgeon told me he could drive a Mac Truck thru my sinuses...He also told me he was gonna use my polyps for bait when he fishing later that day. Anyway, my sinuses still work well at 56 years.

 

[FredT]

I'm down to three sinuses. One huge one on the left side and most of the right side, and the frontal and maxillary on the right side. Maxillary is essentially solid bone with very little internal volume due to repeated infections, and the frontal has a nerve running too close to the path into it to mess with it. Those 2 little ones are what cause me trouble, not the big one. If I could loose the little ones too I'd do it in a heartbeat.

FT

 

[cudachaser]

Sinisses are a major pain...my little guys, epthemodial and sphenoinds still bug me

 

[RumBum]

bump...

 

[DocVikingo]

Hi RumBum,

By your "bump" I'm assume you're looking for more info.

Anything in particular?

Regards,

DocVikingo

 

[TSandM]

RumBum, I know you asked me for more information about this procedure, but it is way outside my area of expertise.

From the reading I did about it, the procedure in theory completely destroys the frontal sinus, filling the area that was a cavity with the patient's own fat. The orifice that originally connected the sinus with the nasopharynx is also destroyed.

This is an uncommon procedure, as the vast majority of sinus problems can be solved non-surgically or with lesser operations. I would guess the intersection of the set of people who have undergone sinus obliteration and the set of people who dive is extremely small. Certainly, there does not appear to be anything published about it that I could find.

If the procedure is successful in completely eradicating the air space, I would think that one could return to diving. But this question is far better asked of the physician who is going to do the operation.