- Functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) uses a rigid ‘Hopkins rod’ telescope to treat recurring sinusitis that has not responded to non-surgical treatment.
- CT scanning will be carried out before the operation to take pictures of ‘slices’ through the sinuses. You will have to lie still in the scanner for up to 10 minutes. Some people find this claustrophobic, but it is not painful, and the amount of radiation used is low.
- FESS is usually performed under general anaesthetic as a day-case procedure. It takes from 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the amount of disease.
- First the natural hole into the sinus in the cheekbone is enlarged. Other sinuses may then be cleared and ventilated, depending on where the disease is.
- Any pain after FESS is usually mild. There is a discharge of old clots and crusts from the nose for about 3 weeks. The most common problem is bleeding, and your nose may be packed to control this. You may also be given antibiotics to reduce the risk of infection. You will be able to return to work after 2 weeks and should not do any heavy lifting in the meantime.
- Long-term steroid nasal spray use improves the results.
- Rarely, the roof or sides of the nose can be damaged, causing a leak of brain (cerebrospinal) fluid or eyesight damage. The former is correctable, the latter may not be.
