Sinus Surgery Procedure for Chronic Sinusitis
Most cases of chronic sinus infection would not require a sinus surgery procedure, with medical treatment and lifestyle changes sufficient enough to control the symptoms. However, when these do not work, sinus surgery would be necessary for complete infection recovery.
Currently, the sinus surgery procedure of choice for chronic sinusitis is Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS). As it is obvious from its name, FESS is an endoscopic sinus surgery procedure to remove diseased tissues and bone through the nostrils. Here, a nasal endoscope is introduced into the nostril following anesthesia. Some FESS procedures could even be accompanied by a video scope to allow for greater magnification of the operative site. Aside from chronic sinusitis, FESS is also the treatment of choice for fungal sinusitis, nasal polyposis and deviated septum.
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Before the advent of minimally invasive operations, the only options for sinus surgery are open, radical procedures, such as the Caldwell-Luc operation, which would require directly cutting into the face or mouth to expose the problem area and remove it. However, these open surgeries increase the risk for infection and entails greater recovery time.
Sinus Surgery Procedure - Main Goals
There are three main goals for sinus surgery. These are...
· The removal of infected material and other debris
· Open up blocked sinuses and nasal passages
· Keeping intact enough healthy tissue to allow for normal functioning of the nose and sinuses
Sinus Surgery Procedure Types
There are three types of endoscopic sinus surgery procedures, namely...
· Ethmoidectomy = surgery for sinus infection that is localized in the ethmoid sinuses
· Maxillary Antrostomy = surgery for sinus infection that is localized in the maxillary sinuses.
· Powered septoplasty with turbinoplasty = Surgery to correct blockage caused by a deviated septum and enlarged turbinates.
These three sinus surgery procedures are done on an outpatient or day surgery basis. All these surgeries would entail passing an endoscope through the nostril after giving general anesthesia. A small incision is then made to reveal the affected sinus. After this is done, another small tube is inserted through which small, fine surgical instruments would be passed.
There is a very low risk for sinus surgery complications with endoscopic procedures. Nevertheless, doctors still expect for infection or bleeding to develop. Sinus surgery recovery is fast compared to open radical surgeries. Patients usually go home the same day as the procedure.
The Nose Knows: Sinus Surgery at DMC
A new surgical procedure that is currently under study is balloon sinuplasty. Much like balloon angioplasty for the heart, this operation would entail the use of balloons which would open up the sinuses in a minimally-invasive manner.
For those who are planning to undergo a sinus surgery procedure, it is advisable to check out ENT surgery or medical websites that would have pictures of the various types of sinus operations.
