Instead of worrying yourself silly (I speak as an expert in
silliness), if your infection comes back, I would go on a 4 week
course of Levaquin, some prednisone, and a horse pill decongestant.
Then get a CT scan at the end of that month. The scans should show
whether there's anything needing surgery or if you're clear.  If it's
clear, think about getting tested for allergies, and if those results
are positive, get allergy shots.

You are correct in being concerned about surgery, so you should take
whatever steps you can to avoid it (as mentioned above).  

For now, enjoy the fact that you don't have any symptoms, and do not
worry that you're bound to relapse.  Where is it written that you
will?  If you do, the above course of treatment worked for me, and I'm
surgery-free and (for now) recovered from chronic sinusitis.  Whatever
symptoms I have now that would have normally caused infections (and I
had basically one continuous infection in 2005 and half of 2006) stays
on an allergy-irritant level, and doesn't develop into a secondary
infection.  I have immunotherapy to thank for that.

Your concerns about having surgery even before a CT scan remind me not
only of mine with sinusitis, but a few years ago when I went to a
noted neurosurgeon for possible neck/back surgery.  Not only was I
really worried about having another surgery on my back (which I
decided not to do - I made the right decision), but he did a tuning
fork test on the side of my head, muttered "that's very unusual" and
ordered an MRI of my brain.

Talk about scared.  I figured I was going to die in 6 months.  Then
after the MRI, I called to get the results, and the results were
negative.  All that worrying was needless.  

Rick

Recurrent acute sinus infections suggest something is chronically wrong
with your sinuses.  You want to find out what it is before you finally
get a sinus infection that won't go away despite all non-surgical
treatment, and leave you with chronic sinusitis.

Don't make the same mistake I did.  Don't think that just because you
beat each sinus infection in the past that you will be able to beat the
next one in the future.  Eventually my luck ran out and now I have
permanent chronic sinusitis.

See an ENT, complain about recurrent infections, and ask for a CT scan.
 At least he will be able to determine whether anything is wrong with
your sinuses that is contributing to the infections; and whether it
could be getting worse to the point that your sinusitis becomes chronic.

That doesn't necessarily mean you will need surgery.  But you do need to
start aggressively investigating the cause of your repeated sinus
infections.  Unlike simple common colds, bacterial sinusitis is not a
normal part of life.

If you are doing so well on the biaxin, I would ask for at least
another week NOW to make sure that you have gotten rid of it.  Not
treating it long enough when you've had it for several months can lead
to chronic sinusitis, if you are not there yet.  As mentioned by
others, sometimes it takes a month to 6 weeks of continuous treatment
to clear it up.   Then the next step would be to see an ENT and have a
CT scan if it comes back within a few weeks or months.  Even then going
to something stronger, would be the next option in my opinion  before
considering surgery unless there is an obvious blockage  on CT scan.
If ANY of the ostia are blocked (that includes the "overlooked"
sphenoid sinuses which would cause symptoms deep in the head; on top
and back or can be generalized to just about anywhere;  NO amount of
antibitoics are going to help if that is the case, so the sooner you
have surgery the better,.  In my opinion if you op for surgery, you
should have the least invasive surgery possible unless things are
really a "mess."  The most common and successful) procedure (for most
people) that is done now is minimally invasive endoscopic surgery to
just widen the openings into the ostiomeatial complex so that it can
drain better, no windows nor excess tissue removal unless specifically
indicated;  leaves more room for more microbes to invade.

On the other hand, if you have the CT scan and the ENT says you are
fine,  but you dont feel like it and keep getting recurring symptoms
that you know have been related to sinusitis and you have exhausted
other options like allergies, then you need to keep checking around for
an ENT who treats the SYMPTOMS as well as CT scans. CT scans do not
always tell the entire story and there can be a lot of false negatives
as well as false positive.

I know it sounds like I am against surgery, but I'm NOT.  As a matter
of fact, I think it was delayed too long and/or undertreated in my case
and therefore became chronic.  It's just that I think that most of us
who keep posting here are the exception, not the rule.  Not everyone
with a sinus infection should rush out to have surgery without
exhausting other options first.  Having said that , I would not let
this go on for months to years without considering surgery as an
option, but make sure you find an experienced surgeon even if you have
to go to another state to get it done.  Do your own research,  get
copies of your records.  You will have to be your own advocate and may
still run into a lot of obstacles.  Hopefully, the antibiotics will be
the answer.  

Kathyw