What is Sinus? What is acute sinusitis?
The cavities that open into the nasal cavity with a window and are located in the bones of the face and head are called sinuses (paranasal sinuses). The most common diseases we see in the sinuses are infections; since nasal cavitiy will be affected by these infections, these disease are called ‘rhinosinusitis’. Most of these infections are based on viruses and they can be cured by supportive treatment without using antibiotics. However, sometimes bacterial infections can occur. In this case, although the complaints and findings are more severe, a considerable part of these patients are cured spontaneously within the first two weeks. Therefore, if patients who we have diagnosed with ‘acute rhinosinusitis’ do not develop another complication within the first two weeks, we do not start to use antibiotics.
What is choronic sinusitis?
If the infection that affects the sinuses continues for more than 3 months despite the treatments, it is called ‘chronic rhinosinusitis’. Chronic rhinosinusitis should be handled very differently than acute rhinosinusitis. The underlying reasons that make the disease chonic should be investigated and these reasons should be treated first. For example, anatomical problems of the nose (septum deviation, concha diseases), allergic problems, nasal polyps can be among these reasons.
At which stage can surgical procedure be preferred?
In rare cases, despite the treatments (treatments with antibiotics and steroids that last at least one month), the situation may not improve, it may get worse or complications may develop. In such cases, surgical procedures are planned for the sinuses.
What is endoscopic sinus surgery?
While this surgical procedure affect the anatomy and function of the sinuses at minimum level, it also protects their functions at maximum level. In endoscopic sinus surgery, by reaching the areas where the sinuses are opened under the camera and endoscopic vision, the disease and the pathology causing the disease in the sinuses are cleaned and the comfortable discharge of the sinuses into the nasal cavity is ensured. Today, endoscopic sinus surgery has displaced many procedures performed by making an external incision. It is also used very successfully in the removal of benign tumors of the nasal cavity and sinuses, polyposis disease that continues despite medical treatments, anthrocoanal polyp disease, surgery of some malignant tumors, repair of skull base traumas, and cerebrospinal fluid leakage repair. In the same way, it can be successfully applied in skull base tumor excisions and in closing the defect behind.