I attended the ENT Emergency Clinic recently for nasal cautery. The bottom line is that I was not given any information as to how I might feel after the procedure, what symptoms etc, nor was I given any aftercare advice other than not to touch or poke my nose. Unfortunately, once the anaesthetic had worn off I experienced stinging pain in my nose, pain/ache in my upper left jaw, gums and teeth, as well as a stream of (presumably) mucus dripping constantly from the nostril which had had the procedure and a totally blocked nose, so had to breath through my mouth. Basically, although I would have expected some discomfort, I wasn't expecting this amount and feel that I should have been forewarned. I would also have expected an aftercare leaflet (do's and don'ts). I subsequently researched the issue online on a number of Patients Forums and was surprised (but also relieved) to see that all the symptoms I was experiencing were quite common and that I could expect them to subside over the coming days. I did put a call into the department to request information and advice and the nurse kindly went to report the issues I'd raised with the Doctor who had carried out the procedure. I got a phone call back basically saying that the symptoms I had experienced were quite rare but an apology came with it. The point of me raising this feedback is to suggest that ENT produces a leaflet for patients regarding nasal cautery, what the patient can expect during the procedure, what they can expect in the way of side effects/symptoms after the procedure and a list of do's and don'ts with respect to aftercare at home (e.g. Paracetamol, humidity, rest, tissues, saline spray?). Having such information would have been useful to me indeed and would have avoided me having to research the topic myself from other Patient Forums and Medical websites.
"Side effects and aftercare"
About: Heartlands Hospital Heartlands Hospital Birmingham B9 5SS
Posted via nhs.uk
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