if you are having problems with your sinuses your surgeon may recommend endoscopic sinus surgery
the sinus cavities are air filled spaces that lie within the bones of your face
they are lined by a mucous membrane and are in continuity with the nasal passage there are
four pairs of sinuses the frontal sinus behind the forehead the ethmoid sinus between the eyes
the maxillary sinus behind the cheekbones and the sphenoid sinus right under the base of the skull
healthy sinuses are filled with air and have a very thin mucous membrane on the opposite
inflamed sinuses have a very thick membrane and can be filled with fluid pus or polyps
your surgeon can recommend sinus surgery for several reasons the most common one is chronic
rhino sinusitis that is not improving with medical therapy other reasons include a growth or mass in
your nose sinuses or skull base chronic sinusitis is an inflammation of the membrane lining your
sinus cavities that last more than three months this inflammation can be accompanied by polyps
or not polyps are grape-like little balls of inflamed tissue that can grow from the sinus
membrane and fill your sinuses if you suffer from chronic sinusitis you may experience facial pain
and headaches nasal obstruction and congestion yellow or green discharge from your nose and loss
of smell endoscopic sinus surgery is the method of choice for most chronic sinusitis that have
failed medical management it is usually performed in the operating room under general anesthesia
after you are put to sleep your surgeon will use a small scope and camera to visualize your sinuses
and operate through the nose therefore endoscopic sinus surgery is done without having any visible
incisions or scar the main goal of the surgery is to open the natural draining
passages of your sinuses and safely remove as many polyps or inflammatory tissue as possible
depending on your symptoms and imaging results your surgeon may choose to enlarge the passages
from your maxillary sinuses your ethmoid sinuses frontal sinuses and or sphenoid sinuses
complications are rare but endoscopic sinus surgery does carry some risks four of these risks
are nosebleeds infection injury to the eye and cerebral spinal fluid leaking also known as a csf
leak any surgery carries a risk of bleeding in the case of sinus surgery it is normal to experience
mild nose blades for a few days after the surgery in very rare cases you could have a severe nose
blade that may require nasal packing or going back to the operating room to stop the bleeding
to reduce the risk of bleeding after surgery avoid heavy lifting straining or intense exercise for up
to two weeks after surgery any surgery carries a risk of infection signs of infection include fever
or purulent discharge from your nose this can be treated with antibiotics
sinus surgery also carries slight risk of injury to your eye and vision if you
experience any significant eye pain or changes in vision after your surgery call your surgeon
or go to the nearest medical emergency facility another rare risk of a sinus surgery is a csf
leak a csf leak is caused by a small breach of the thin bone that separates your sinuses from
the fluid around your brain called csf if you experience clear fluid dripping out of your nose
after your surgery when straining or bending over call your surgeon a csf leak that is not treated
could lead to meningitis an infection of the lining of the brain although sinus surgery
helps many patients with chronic sinusitis polyps and inflammation do have a tendency to come back
with many patients requiring ongoing medical treatment and sometimes repeat surgery if you
have any questions or concerns after your sinus surgery contact your surgeon's office or go to
the nearest medical emergency facility good luck during your upcoming surgery