I read numerous reviews about Dr. Naveen Bhandarkar and other ear, nose and throat surgeons at various web sites including healthgrades.com, rateMDs.com, doctor.com etc. before I scheduled my first appointment. Additionally, I found an article that addresses the real validity of (PRW's, Physician Review Websites) and how limited data (3-4 patients) can often skew a particular doctors ratings unfairly and erroneously.
Don't reach conclusions before digging a little bit further into how the data was gathered and analyzed for a web site. Having said all this, my experience with Dr. Bhandarkar may not be what yours was or will be and the only way you can really know is schedule visits with at least three ENT's, do your research before, have your questions ready, take notes and then make your decision based on the particular physicians biography, experience, number of times he has performed a particular procedure and finally your own gut feeling on whether this is the guy you want to operate on you.
I recommend Dr. Bhandarkar without reservation as my results are amazing so far. Five weeks after the procedure that included a re-section (reduction) of the middle turbinate (Meatus) to allow for efficient sinus drainage and removal of polyps that had built up over the years. The polyps created a chronic sinus infection due to lack of dry air circulating through the nasal passages.. Now I am experiencing better sleep, better speech (not nasal), sense of smell returned, food tastes wonderful.
Stents were placed on both sides of my nose to prevent crusting of the areas that were bleeding for about a week after surgery. Directions were specific from Dr. Bhandarkar regarding irrigation of the sinuses with a saline solution at least three times a day to prevent crusting and allow the exposed mucus membranes to heal from the inside without scabbing up and creating adhesions.
Follow the doctors orders with this one guys/girls. Rinsing the sinuses with saline is one of the most important things you can do to assist in the healing process and prevent infection post operative. Be religious about it. If you are not diligent you will not obtain the results you desire. Be a good patient and follow directions. I still irrigate three to four times a day because I never want to return to where I was; miserable, no sense of smell, constantly clearing my sinuses, sleep apnea, spitting up dark yellow mucus daily from chronic sinusitis.
Before the operation I was hoping to possibly regain my sense of smell that I had lost 10 years before. Only when I would take steroids pre op to shrink the swelling would I get maybe one or two days when I could actually catch a whiff of food being cooked. I could not smell anything including gasoline due to my olfactory lobes being covered with mucous due to infection in the sinus cavities. Now for the first time in ten years I have regained my sense of smell. I feel like I have inherited super powers but in reality I have just returned to normal but it would not have been possible without a skilled surgeons intervention; Dr. Naveen Bhandarkar.
I was prescribed Vicodin for post operative pain but it wasn't necessary. On a scale of 1 to 10 I was maybe a 2 for the first day. I took a week off of work but later found out I could have returned by day 3. 8 days after surgery my post op appointment included removal of the stents, some numbing and irrigation to enable Dr. Bhandarkar to evaluate the healing process and very sincere encouragement to continue with my daily irrigation. About 3 days after that my sense of smell returned right before Thanksgiving. Unbelievable, what a blessing. To smell all of the wonderful smells. I am so thankful.
This is a little gross so you have been warned. During post op you will be spitting out blood yellow mucous and sometimes scabs that are trying to form as a result of incisions made during the procedure. The blood decreased after 3 to 5 days but I was continuing to excrete yellow mucous that indicated continuing infection. After I started treating with the compound steroid, antibiotic, saline solution the yellow mucous disappeared around three weeks out. For the last two weeks there is no color when I spit out excess from my irrigation compound and my sinuses remain dry and healthy.
Three weeks after surgery during my second post op visit Dr. Bhandarkar recommended we move to a "combination" topical steroid, antibiotic, saline rinse using a 120 ml bottle and rinsing at least 3 times a day. Turned out the "compound mix" was not covered by the insurance carrier and cost $180 for two months worth of capsules but I went forward with that, paid out of my pocket and am so glad I did.
Back to irrigation one last comment. The directions tell you that you can irrigate one side of your nose while leaning over the sink and wait until it gets to the other side indicating a thorough exposure however I have found what I think is a better way.
Kneel down on the floor, pump the saline compound solution into both nostrils and move your chin as close to your chest as possible. Then inhale the solution through your nose while further tilting your head to the left and right, ten times on each side. This method allows the solution to get high into the front and back of the sinuses where the polyps were and guarantees optimum saturation of the compound into the upper sinuses. After this stand up and blow your nose into the sink to alleviate any residual solution. If we are going to do this, lets do it right. Now five weeks after surgery, only clear mucous indicating the irrigation solution and methodology are working.
In conclusion my experience with Dr. Bhandarkar has been wonderful. He has a good bedside manner and takes however much time you need with him before he moves to his next