• Reference Number: HEY-1360-2023
• Departments: Day Surgery (DSC) (CHH), ENT
• Last Updated: 1 May 2023

Introduction

This advice sheet has been produced to give you general information following your nasal surgery. It is not intended to replace the discussion between you and your doctor. If after reading it you require further explanation, please discuss this with the relevant person who has been caring for you.

Your Consultant is………………………………………………………………………….

Your Surgeon is…………………………………………………………………………….

Should you need any further help or advice, please telephone the Day Surgery Centre, Monday to Friday 08:00 hours to 18:00 hours.

Telephone: Day Surgery Centre (01482) 468103 / 468173 /468174.  Please ask to speak to a member of the nursing staff.

At other times please call, Telephone: 01482 875875 and ask for ENT Ward 16 Castle Hill Hospital.

Follow-up

If the Consultant needs to see you again an appointment will follow in the post.

Pain relief

You may experience some mild pain following your procedure and this is not unusual. If you do experience pain we recommend for the first 24 – 48 hour period you take a regular pain relief medication such as Paracetamol or Ibuprofen.

Do not take Aspirin.

(Ibuprofen may not be suitable for Asthmatics)

 If you require additional pain relief to take home this will be given to you on discharge and you will be advised by the nurse when this should be taken.

Blocked nose

Any nasal blockage is normal and usually settles within 1 to weeks following surgery. Steam inhalation may be of some benefit.

Prevention of nose bleeds

• Avoid blowing your nose for 4 days
• Allow hot drinks to cool before drinking
• Avoid activity that causes you to strain, e.g. heavy housework, gardening, bending forward etc.
• Avoid constipation – adding bran to you diet may help with this
• Avoid smoky and dusty atmospheres
• Avoid mixing with people with coughs and colds
• If you need to sneeze, do so with your mouth open as this will reduce the pressure within your nasal passages

Discharge from the nose

You may experience a discharge from your nose and if so this is likely to be blood stained for a few days.

The discharge should stop within 1 to 2 weeks following your surgery, please contact the ENT Ward or GP if the discharge changes in colour or consistency.

Nasal douching

If required this should be undertaken every day for the first 2 weeks.

You will be given an advice sheet on how to perform a nasal douche.

Your Consultant on the day will advise if you need to continue this for more than 2 weeks.

What to do if your nose bleeds

It is important to remain calm.

Pinch the front of your nose and breathe through your mouth.

If ice is available it can be wrapped in a cloth and placed at each side of the nasal bridge.

If the bleeding occurs within 2 weeks of your surgery and it continues for longer than 15 minutes ring the Ward 16 CHH (01482 875875 and ask for Ward 16 CHH)

If it occurs more than 2 weeks after your surgery contact your GP.

 Work

You can return to work after two weeks but if you feel you need a little longer you may need a further sick note from your doctor.

 After your operation

Should you need to visit your doctor with a problem related to the operation within three weeks of the surgery, we would appreciate you contacting the Day Surgery Centre, Telephone: (01482) 468103 / 468173 /468174.  Please ask to speak to one of the nursing staff.

The Day Surgery Centre is continually striving to improve Patient information and we would be pleased to hear from you should you have any comments.

Should you require further advice on the issues contained in this advice sheet, please do not hesitate to contact the Day Surgery Centre.

This leaflet was produced by the Day Surgery Department, Castle Hill Hospital, Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and will be reviewed in May 2026

General Advice and Consent

Most of your questions should have been answered by this leaflet, but remember that this is only a starting point for discussion with the healthcare team.

Consent to treatment

Before any doctor, nurse or therapist examines or treats your child, they must seek your consent or permission. In order to make a decision, you need to have information from health professionals about the treatment or investigation which is being offered to your child. You should always ask them more questions if you do not understand or if you want more information.

The information you receive should be about your child’s condition, the alternatives available for your child, and whether it carries risks as well as the benefits. What is important is that your consent is genuine or valid. That means:

• you must be able to give your consent
• you must be given enough information to enable you to make a decision
• you must be acting under your own free will and not under the strong influence of another person

Information about your child

We collect and use your child’s information to provide your child with care and treatment. As part of your child’s care, information about your child will be shared between members of a healthcare team, some of whom you may not meet. Your child’s information may also be used to help train staff, to check the quality of our care, to manage and plan the health service, and to help with research. Wherever possible we use anonymous data.

We may pass on relevant information to other health organisations that provide your child with care. All information is treated as strictly confidential and is not given to anyone who does not need it. If you have any concerns please ask your child’s doctor, or the person caring for your child.

Under the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018 we are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any information we hold about your child. For further information visit the following page: Confidential Information about You.

If you need information about your child’s (or a child you care for) health and wellbeing and their care and treatment in a different format, such as large print, braille or audio, due to disability, impairment or sensory loss, please advise a member of staff and this can be arranged.

Your newborn baby’s NHS number

An NHS number is allocated to everyone whose birth is registered with a Registrar of Births and Deaths in England and Wales. You already have an NHS number and your baby will be assigned an NHS number soon after birth. Your NHS number is unique to you and provides a reliable means of linking you to the medical and administrative information we hold about you. NHS numbers are allocated on a random basis and, in themselves, provide no information about the people to whom they relate.