How does Endoscopic Sinus Surgery differ from Traditional Surgeries?

If the quality of life fails to improve after sufficient medication, your doctor may suggest surgery. This may involve:

Septoplasty - correction of the central partition of the nose.

Turbinoplasty - reduction in the size of the bones in the sides of the nose.

There are other types of surgeries that can correct blockages in the nose and sinuses, but endoscopic sinus surgery is becoming the procedure of choice for more and more doctors.

Compared to other more traditional methods, endoscopic sinus surgery:

• Is less painful
• Leaves no visible scars
• Causes less bleeding
• Creates less discomfort after surgery
• Requires less packing in the nose after surgery
• Has a faster recovery period
• Has a higher success rate

When sinus surgery was first performed, surgeons would have to reach the sinuses by entering through the cheek area. This often caused scarring and possible disfigurement. In another traditional procedure, surgeons enter the sinus through the upper jaw.

In the past, it was thought that the damaged sinus tissues could never function normally again and had to be removed. Now, it is believed that as long as enough room is created for air to properly pass through the nose, the sinuses can once again do their job. Therefore, the objective of endoscopic sinus surgery is to do as little as necessary to restore the normal function of the sinuses.

How is Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery performed?

This gentle, modern therapeutic method is the current state-of-the-art method for treating sinus disease.

This operation is performed under local anesthesia. Using sophisticated endoscopes and precise instrumentation, the structural variations leading to chronic inflammation and / or recurrent disease are removed in order to improve the ventilation of the sinuses. The openings of the sinuses (ostia) are precisely widened in order to prevent recurrent obstruction.

The narrow spaces of the ethmoidal labyrinth are widened and the diseased bony partitions (septae) removed.

Care is taken to only address the diseased tissue, preserving the normal mucosa for quick healing.

In addition the septum is straightened if required and the swollen tissues of the turbinates trimmed. This allows the patient to have an improved airflow.