After surgery for chronic sinusitis and nasal polyps, the ideal state of healing is epithelialization of the wound, but in some patients epithelialization is not achieved, but pathological changes occur, which can lead to adhesions at the surgical site, formation of patches at the wound, and narrowing or complete closure of the sinus opening. Usually during the recovery period of 3-6 months after surgery, the wound either epithelializes or becomes pathologic, so this is the stage where adhesions and recurrences are actively prevented, which is the key to the success or failure of the whole treatment! It can be said that the surgery is only the first step out, and there are still two big steps from success: one is regular postoperative review; the other is to adhere to the postoperative medication.
1, regular review to clean up the nasal cavity, effectively reduce recurrence Many patients give up the review halfway because it is painful to clean up the nasal cavity with the nasal endoscope, this is not acceptable! Some studies have shown that the lack of timely review after nasal endoscopy is one of the main reasons for recurrence. Regular review allows the surgeon to detect new growths, scabs and adhesions, and if left untreated, blocking the sinus opening, sinusitis may quickly recur. Understanding the importance of review, let’s learn more about the specific contents of the review.
(1) Postoperative review time: once a week in the first month after discharge, once every 2 weeks in the second month, and once a month thereafter until the wound heals; (2) The main content of the review – nasal clearance.
Nasal endoscopic cleaning is performed under nasal surface anesthesia to remove accumulated blood, secretions, and crusts from the wound, and to remove new vesicles (postoperative over-edematous mucosal tissue), granulations, and small polyps; minor adhesions can also be separated at this time to re-expand the sinus opening. In general, regular review can enable doctors to clearly determine whether the wounds belong to normal healing state and deal with them in time.
2.Adhering to medication to control the growth of vesicles and small polyps (1) postoperative use of nasal spray hormone can be anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory and anti-edema in order to effectively control the growth of vesicles and small polyps. It is usually used for more than 3~6 months after surgery. Certain patients with allergic rhinitis often require lifelong use.
(2) Mucus promoter: It helps to reduce the viscosity of sinus secretions and is helpful for sinus recovery. It should be used for no less than 3 months after surgery.
(3) Oral hormones: Follow the advice of a professional physician according to the recovery of the surgical site.
(3) Go home and also clean the nasal cavity daily to promote the recovery of mucosal function Generally, nasal cleaning is started 6~7 days after surgery, 2~3 times a day, rinsing for one to three months. Many patients may ask, “Why do I need to rinse my nasal cavity when the doctor has already cleaned it for me during the review? That is because although the doctor cleared the obstruction such as vesicles, small polyps and granules, nasal secretions are produced all the time, and rinsing out the pus and blood secretions from the nasal cavity can promote the recovery of the nasal mucosa function.