OBJECTIVE. To evaluate the effects of steroid-impregnated middle meatal packing on post-operative outcome after endoscopic sinus surgery.
MATERIAL AND METHODS. We performed a prospective clinical study on 26 randomly selected patients, older than 12 years, with chronic rhinosinusitis, who failed medical management and who were operated on by endoscopic sinus surgery at Al-Imamain Al-Kadhimyain Teaching Medical City over a period of 12 months. Patients were divided into two groups: the 1st with middle meatal packing soaked with steroids (triamcinolone) and the 2nd group with middle meatal packing alone, without steroid. The two study groups were followed-up postoperatively for adhesions, crustations and nasal discharge over a period of three months.
RESULTS. The study showed a significant reduction in early nasal crustations (p-value=0.048) and nasal discharge (p-value=0.033) after endoscopic sinus surgery in patients who received triamcinolone-impregnated middle meatal packing. Synechia formation was significantly lower in the steroid-impregnated group one month after surgery (p-value=0.021), but no difference at one week (p-value=0.089). At the three-month follow-up, comparing the two groups, the following variables were not statistically significant: crusts (p-value=0.22), nasal discharge (p-value=0.26), synechia (p-value=0.074).
CONCLUSION. There are significant reductions in the incidence of early crustations, synechia, nasal discharge in patients who received triamcinolone middle meatal packing following endoscopic sinus surgery.
