About The Endoscopic ENT Surgery
Developed in the 1950s, the nasal telescope has greatly changed the evaluation and treatment of rhinosinusitis. The nasal telescope also gives a view for “opening” the natural drainage passages during sinus surgery. These procedures are performed without facial incisions — since both the telescope and other instruments may be passed through the nostrils. Before nasal telescope, sinus surgery was often destructive and focused on the removal of so-called “diseased” tissue; however, today’s endoscopic procedures are performed with much more finesse.
These techniques generally eliminate the need for traditional external incisions — although in rare instances, the telescope may be used through an external incision.
Another important feature is that functional endoscopic sinus surgery focuses on treating the underlying cause of the problem. The ethmoid areas are usually opened; this then allows for visualization of the maxillary, frontal, and sphenoid sinuses. The sinuses can then be viewed directly, and diseased or obstructive tissue removed as necessary. There is often less removal of normal tissue, and thus healing is quicker and outcomes are better.
Recovery after the surgery is often faster than anticipated. The surgery is most commonly performed on an outpatient basis (or with a 23-hour hospital stay), and the patient may return to near normal activity in 1-2 weeks.
