Functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS)

FESS is the treatment of choice in patients with medically refractory chronic rhinosinusitis and chronic polypous rhinosinusitis. This surgery relies on minimal surgical site bleeding to be performed efficiently and safely.

 

Over the past 20 years, endoscopic sinus surgery has been widely used as a safe and effective treatment for Para Nasal Sinus (PNS) disorders. Powered instrumentation and stereotactic image-guided surgery have improved efficiency and safety of this procedure. Endoscopic approaches to benign tumors of the nose, sinuses, anterior cranial fossa and the orbit are now becoming widely established. 

 

This procedure expands narrow passageways in the sinuses. Non-cancerous growths (polyps) and inflamed parts of the mucous membrane are also removed. It aims to improve airflow through the nose and the sense of smell, and make it easier for mucus to flow out. During the procedure, the narrowed sinus passageways are expanded using small instruments inserted through a tube (endoscope).

 

Severe complications following FESS are very rare. More common complications include short-term bleeding, inflammation, bruising and an impaired sense of smell. People often have a stuffy nose for several days after the procedure, and scabs may form, but this gets better quickly. It may take several weeks until the wounds in the sinuses have completely healed, though. For this reason, it's important to have regular doctor's appointments for several weeks. He or she will rinse your nose with a saline solution. The ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctor will also remove wound secretions from your nose at several different appointments.



References: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03970655, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3273939/, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279484/