Around 2002 I consulted Dr. Grandis about my deviated septum. After trying pharmaceutical interventions, she was confident that most or all of the problem in my nose was due to a bend in the septum itself (my nose had been broken in the past). She had no other suggestions and I should have gotten a second opinion.

I vividly recall my final meeting with her after my recovery from surgery. She removed the stents from my nostrils and sprayed the vasoconstrictor, saying that I would probably be breathing better than ever shortly. I wasn't.

The part that bothers me is that, when she saw that there was no change in my ability to breathe through my nose, she became visibly flustered and left the room. I couldn't get her to talk about it any more, other than some vague mention that there should still be some swelling.

I lead a busy life, so it has been more than a decade before I sought alternate correction. My current doctor was able to actually provide some relief to my blocked nasal passages. I have now undergone a septoplasty, combined with turbinate reduction and the repair of a small fissure in my septum. I cannot establish whether Dr. Grandis was the source of the fissure and I do not care any longer.

Now that I have been to a more skilled surgeon, I reassured that Dr. Grandis' skill and knowledge levels were lacking. She did not spot additional impediments to my nasal passages, and she did not stay to discuss what was not working after the surgery.

I am upset to this day at the missed opportunity to alleviate my problem more than a decade ago, and I would caution anyone considering Dr. Grandis to get a second and third opinion at minimum.

Submitted Aug. 6, 2014