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Health care information for sinusitis sufferers |
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Health care information for sinusitis sufferers |
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| Home What is Sinusitis? Sinusitis Quiz Symptoms Causes Treatment Options Find A Doctor Patient Stories Sinus Anatomy FAQ Glossary Editorial Contributors Tell Us Your Story ObstructedNose.com |
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Treatment OptionsSurgical Treatment OptionsAdenoidectomy | Endoscopic Sinus Surgery | Ethmoidectomy |Extended Endscopic Frontal Sinus Surgery | Frontal Sinusotomy | FESS (Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery) | Maxillary Sinusotomy | Open Frontal Sinus Surgery | Polypectomy | Reduction Removal of Inferior Turbinate | Reduction Removal of Middle Turbinate | Septoplasty | Sphenoidotomy | Tumor Removal Sphenoidotomy The sphenoid sinuses that lie behind the ethmoid sinuses can become inflamed and require widening. If only the sphenoid is involved and there is no disease in the other sinuses, endoscopic-guided surgery through the nose is usually an option. However, when the sphenoids are inflamed, there is often even more disease in other sinuses, especially the ethmoids. When this happens, the doctor may not discover a problem with the sphenoids until surgery on other sinuses is underway. Typically, the ethmoid sinuses are opened first and the inflammation is followed backwards through the sinuses, sometimes as far as the sphenoid sinuses. While this doesn't increase pain or discomfort post-surgery, it does add time to the operation. Also, the chance of complications increases slightly. As with other kinds of endoscopic sinus surgeries, the incidence of complications during surgery is extremely low. Still, because the sphenoid sinuses are in a difficult spot – at a distance from the front of the nose, towards the center of the head, and surrounded by important structures like the optic nerve, major blood vessels, the brain and other nerves – surgery can be difficult. The CT scan helps the surgeon identify the exact location of these important anatomic structures. The doctor may also elect to employ an image-guided surgery system to help identify surgical landmarks during the operation. If sphenoid inflammation has persisted over a long time, the bone surrounding the sinus may have thickened. That is why a drill is sometimes a necessary surgical tool. Email This Article To A Friend Printer-friendly Version Find an ENT Professional Near You
THIS SITE DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY, CALL YOUR DOCTOR OR 911 IMMEDIATELY. All articles and graphics copyright ©2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 Medtronic, Inc. All rights reserved. Version 2.0 This web page was first published on April 30, 2002, and was last updated on June 14, 2006. |
