Jaek P., South Korea

Persistent sinus pain, congestion, and rhinitis were symptoms Jaek did not need to contend with during his duties as an Air Asia pilot operating the large AirBus 310 plane. "I knew that being constantly exposed to air conditioning was not helping my condition," the young pilot says. "My nose was always stuffed up and runny and I had periods where I couldn’t breathe properly."

His problems persisted even months after he and his wife, along with their three children, moved from South Korea to Kuala Lumpur. Although he had gone to several doctors, Jaek could not spare the time for what he calls "proper treatment" because of his busy flight schedule. Several doctors had prescribed nasal sprays and antibiotics but they were, at best, stop-gap measures. He hesitated to have sinus surgery because of the length of time he would potentially be off work.

Finally Jaek visited Dr. Husain Said, a consultant ENT physician and surgeon at Sime Darby Subang Jaya, where one of his children had been treated for bronchitis. Dr. Husain assured Jaek that he could perform a minimally invasive sinus procedure, with full anesthesia, that would eliminate Jaek's symptoms and require no more than three days in the hospital. "His explanation greatly relieved me and I decided to go ahead with the procedure," Jaek explains, adding that the surgery went precisely as Dr. Husain had indicated. "Waking up after the surgery, I was surprised at how little pain I had but, more importantly, I was able to breathe normally." The Air Asia pilot says he no longer experiences sinus pain or discomfort even during the changes in pressure that routinely occur during flights.