Sinus surgery offers relief for chronic sinusitis

"What's wrong, Renee?" Tom found Renee sitting at her desk with her head in her hands. "Ugh," Renee groaned. "I can't shake this sinus infection. It's been months and my head aches; I'm stuffed up. My face actually hurts! The doctor gave me medication, but nothing helps."

Renee is likely suffering from chronic sinusitis. Sinusitis is a condition in which the cavities around the nasal passages, or the sinuses, become inflamed and swollen, preventing normal mucus drainage.

Mucus accumulates, causing symptoms such as a stuffy nose, swelling around the eyes and face, facial pain and headache. When sinusitis recurs or lasts for more than eight weeks despite medical treatment, it's considered chronic sinusitis.

Fortunately, advances in medical technology offer a breath of fresh air to those suffering the discomfort of chronic sinusitis.

Innovations in Sinus Surgery

If regular medical treatment doesn't offer relief, your doctor may recommend surgery to widen the nasal passages and restore normal drainage. New technology makes this surgery an effective and minimally invasive means of treating chronic sinusitis.

"Functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) may be appropriate when chronic sinus disease can't be managed with medication alone," says Ted Brown Jr., M.D., FACS. Before the procedure, a CT (computed tomography) scan shows the surgeon precisely where the obstruction is located within the sinuses.

During FESS, a thin, fiber-optic telescope, or endoscope, is inserted into the nose. Using the endoscope to see and magnify the nasal passages, the surgeon can locate and remove obstructive tissue, widening the sinuses to restore normal mucous drainage.

"In some cases, such as when a patient has chronic sinusitis in conjunction with nasal polyps, both a medical and a surgical approach may be required - medicine to manage allergies and inflammation, and surgery to get rid of the polyps," Dr. Brown says.

Unlike traditional sinus surgery, FESS is minimally invasive and requires less recovery time, leaves no external scar and less scarring in the sinuses, causes minimal discomfort, has a low complication rate, and helps leave the sinus lining intact.

"When FESS was introduced, it was a paradigm shift in sinus surgery compared to what used to be referred to as Roto-Rooter procedures," Dr. Brown says. "I've performed thousands of these endoscopic procedures, with good results."

Positive Results

Recent analysis shows that patients experience significant improvement in sinusitis symptoms after undergoing endoscopic surgery. The journal Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery reports that, following endoscopic sinus surgery, patients experience:*

59% improvement in nasal obstruction.
61% improvement in facial pain.
53% improvement in headache.
49% improvement in smell disturbance.
47% improvement in postnasal discharge.

Functional endoscopic sinus surgery is most often done on an outpatient basis. The procedure typically takes only 30 minutes to an hour.

Find Relief Here

If you suffer from the discomfort of chronic sinusitis, a visit with one of our otolaryngologists (ear, nose and throat doctors) may have you breathing a sigh of relief. We can evaluate your condition and help you find the best treatment solution.

Call our physician referral at 352-799-5019 for information about our otolaryngolosists or visit www.springhillregional.net or www.brooksvilleregional.net for more information.

* Source: "Sinus Surgery Relieves Stubborn Sinusitis Symptoms," Reuters, May 15, 2009. www.reuters.com.