Endoscopic Sinus Surgery: Procedure, Benefits, Risks, and Recovery

Introduction:

Are you the one with recurrent or chronic sinusitis? Then, endoscopic sinus surgery may be the right treatment option for you, which helps you relieve your symptoms and live a better life. This surgery is performed using an endoscope, which neither requires incision nor causes any scar while healing. This article will provide you with insights into what endoscopic surgery is, the procedure involved, benefits, risks, and complications.

What Is Endoscopic Sinus Surgery?

Endoscopic sinus surgery is a less invasive procedure used to treat various disease conditions in the sinus using an endoscope (a thin and firm tube with light and a camera at one end). In this type of surgery, doctors perform the surgery through your nostrils, which indicates that you will not have any scars due to an incision on or around your nose.

Why Is Endoscopic Sinus Surgery Done?

Endoscopic sinus surgery is performed when your nasal passages fail to drain mucus from the sinuses as they should. This causes pain and breathing difficulty. Generally, in such cases, antibiotics and nasal sprays help to manage the condition. But sometimes, these fail and require endoscopic sinus surgery to open the draining pathway to clear off discomfort and infection.

You may require endoscopic sinus surgery in the following situations -

• Chronic sinusitis (a sinus infection that persists for more than three months).

• Nasal polyps (small growths in the nasal or sinus cavities).

• Cancer or any abnormal growth in your sinus.

• Acute sinusitis (a sinus inflammation that does not last more than ten days).

• Recurrent infections.

What Are the Types of Endoscopic Sinus Surgery?

The main types of endoscopic sinus surgery are -

• Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS): Functional endoscopic sinus surgery is the prevalent type of endoscopic sinus surgery performed using endoscopes. It is performed to remove growths, bone, or tissue, or to widen nasal passages to drain trapped nasal secretions.

• Balloon Sinuplasty: It is performed under local anesthesia. Your treating doctor places a balloon catheter inside your nasal passage to improve drainage. This is performed if you have chronic sinusitis.

• Caldwell-Luc Surgery: It is performed when standard methods fail to treat your sinus issue. In this surgery, your doctor makes a new passage from the maxillary sinus to the nose to drain the trapped mucus in the sinus cavities.

How to Prepare for Sinus Surgery?

Here is the list of information you need to know on how to prepare yourself for the surgery.

• The general physician will check your overall health and give you the all-clear for surgery. He or she may order various laboratory tests.

• Stop taking certain medications before surgery, as they may interact with anesthesia or increase your risk of bleeding during surgery. This includes Aspirin, Warfarin, Clopidogrel, NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like Ibuprofen and Naproxen, and St.John’s wort (can interact with anesthesia).

• Avoid smoking at least three weeks before surgery and a month after surgery, as it can delay your healing and make symptoms worse. Sometimes, it can make your surgery less successful.

• Avoid consuming or drinking after midnight on the surgery day, as you will be given general anesthesia during the procedure. This is to avoid any problems associated with GA.

• Have someone beside you to help you drive home after the surgery, since it is not safe for you to drive on your own after receiving GA.

What to Expect During the Procedure?

In general, endoscopic sinus surgery is an outpatient medical procedure, and it will be done under general anesthesia to make you sleep and not feel pain. The further steps involved in the procedure are -

• Your doctor will insert a thin tube with a camera into your nostril, which helps visualize your sinus cavities and nasal passages. This tube is called a nasal endoscope.

• After locating the issue, your surgeon will use tiny special instruments to open the blockage by removing the polyps, scar tissue, or swelling in the nasal or sinus cavity lining.

• In cases of septal deviation, specialized tools are used to straighten the septum and decrease the size of the turbinates (bony structures found inside the nasal cavity lined by mucous membrane).

• Then, nasal packing is done to absorb any bleeding after the surgery. However, most times it is not required.

After the surgery, you will be in the recovery room until you wake up from GA. After a few hours of the surgery, you can go home.

What Can You Expect During Recovery After Endoscopic Sinus Surgery?

You may experience the following during your recovery after the sinus surgery-

• After the surgery, it is relatively common to have bloody nasal discharge for the initial three to five days. You can use a tissue to dab your nose, but do not blow it. Also, you can use Oxymetazoline nasal spray to stop the bleeding. Usually, a few sprays will stop any bleeding. Contact your doctor if the spray cannot stop your persistent nasal bleeding.

• For the first few days after the surgery, you will have nasal and sinus pressure along with some discomfort. You can use Acetaminophen to control the pain and discomfort. Avoid using NSAIDs like Ibuprofen and Naproxen, and Aspirin. If Acetaminophen is not helpful, consult your doctor.

• You may feel tired after the surgery for a week or so, which is common. But endoscopic sinus surgery recovery time varies among individuals; some may return to work sooner, and some may take longer.

• You will also experience nasal congestion after the surgery.

Your doctor will explain to you about things that you should not do during your recovery period -

• For at least ten days following surgery, refrain from straining, doing heavy lifting, and nose-blowing as these actions may result in bleeding. One week following surgery, you can return to 50 percent of your usual exercise routine, and three weeks after surgery, you can return to your routine.

• Avoid taking NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and Aspirin for two weeks after the surgery.

• Also, avoid steroid nasal sprays for two weeks after the surgery to help the lining of the nose and sinus cavities heal.

What Are the Risks and Complications of Sinus Surgery?

As with any other surgery, there are a few risks associated with FESS. But, if adjacent structures are harmed during surgery, complications may result, which include -

• Leakage of cerebrospinal fluid.

• Loss of vision or double vision.

• Excessive tears in the eyes.

• Severe hemorrhage, including bleeding from the nose.

• Losing your ability to smell.

• Infection or signs of infection after sinus surgery require antibiotics.

A new study found that only three out of every 100 procedures result in severe bleeding, the most common complication.

What Are the Benefits of Endoscopic Sinus Surgery?

The benefits of endoscopic sinus surgery include that you may notice better sinus drainage, easier breathing, and thus a decreased infection rate. This surgery will also benefit you by improving overall airflow, which helps you to breathe comfortably and live a better life.

Conclusion:

Endoscopic sinus surgery is an effective and minimally invasive procedure that helps treat your sinus issues. It helps you get rid of your symptoms, like nasal pain and congestion. Before the surgery, discuss your recovery period and the list of things you need to do before and after the sinus surgery, as all these play a significant role in sinus surgery recovery. For most people, life after sinus surgery returns to normal after a few weeks, but it differs among individuals.

Key Takeaway From iCliniq:

Endoscopic sinus surgery is the most effective treatment for individuals with chronic sinusitis who fail to respond to medications and nasal sprays, as well as for other sinus illnesses. This surgery does not require an incision, which is an added advantage since it is carried out using a nasal endoscope. To determine the right type of endoscopic sinus surgery, you can get an expert opinion from our doctors at iCliniq, who have helped a lot of users.