Mr San Sunkaraneni 2014-05-30 Person 5 5 0

Last May, after an upper respiratory tract infection, I totally lost my sense of smell and taste for weeks, and then, when it started to return, everything smelled WEIRD and chemical, particularly coffee, soap, shower gel, deodorants, perfumes, toothpaste etc. In November, I started to smell smoke, and, consulting the internet, diagnosed myself with a brain tumour! Rapidly, I sought an appointment with Mr. Sunkaraneni at the Nuffield Hospital in Guildford, who arranged an MRI scan to check my brain. This scan showed no brain abnormality, but it did reveal a lesion on the floor of my right maxillary sinus. He said that it was probably a mucus retention cyst but wanted to do a biopsy to make sure, so a decision was made to remove the entire cyst with endoscopic micro surgery. Prior to the operation, I had had a seven day blast of Prednisolone steroid tablets, a six week course of Beconase spray and also used saline rinses, but to no avail. The procedure I had was a Right Middle Meatal Antrostomy and drainage of antral mucus retention cyst. The cyst was removed and my sinus was better ventilated. I was in hospital for only one night and suffered very little discomfort. Upon my discharge, Mr. Sunkaraneni reassured me that what had been removed was not at all cancerous. Mucopurulent discharge was found within the cyst. Obviously I was hugely relieved, and I said that I hoped that my sense of smell would recover. He said that although I was now better ventilated in my sinus, he could not promise an improvement in my sense of smell. HOWEVER, after a month of saline rinsing and another month of no medication whatsoever, my sense of smell improved slowly but surely, and now, in May, my sense of smell is first class, totally restored to normal. Having experienced asnosmia, hyposmia, phantosmia etc. I had felt depressed, cut off from my environment (being unable to smell the sea, grass, flowers etc.) and then sick, when everything was distorted so that even a trip to the supermarket or having a shower was a chemical invasion experience. I had my memory of how everything was meant to smell and then the horrible reality of how everything smelled in my new damaged life. NOW, being totally cured, I am so grateful to be able to enjoy my sense of smell. I can now hang out my Ariel-washed clothes, wash my hands with Dove soap, use all my perfumes, make fresh coffee and drink it, drink hot chocolate and use mint toothepaste with delight, all of which were utterly repugnant expereinces before my op. Also, I can breathe more easily through my right nostril and snore only gently at times! In summary, I would recommend Mr. Sunkaraneni , as his intervention has brought me from despair to normality! In order to access the cyst which was in an awkward position, I had a CAT scan from which he planned his excision route. At all times, I felt confidence in his ability , and he put me at ease with his very pleasant cheery manner.