Background: Balloon sinus dilation (BSD)

The application of endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) for the management of paranasal sinus disease in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) has been well described. Due to underlying medical issues such as acquired coagulopathies and advanced pulmonary disease, perioperative morbidity is assumed to be higher in this group. The incidence and type of complications associated with CF patients undergoing ESS has not been previously described. We reviewed 52 consecutive endoscopic procedures in 41 patients with CF performed by a single surgeon over a 34-month period. This review focused on perioperative and postoperative complications. Additional clinical data gathered included estimated blood loss, length of procedure, coagulation laboratory studies, the presence of nasal polyposis, the use of nasal packing, pulmonary function status, and average hospitalization time. A total of six complications were identified--four immediate and two delayed. The perioperative or immediate complications included two cases of epistaxis, one case of periorbital ecchymosis, and one case of pulmonary hemorrhage. Delayed complications include one case of epistaxis and one case of intranasal scarring. In two of these six patients, length of hospitalization was prolonged for management of the associated complications. No study has specifically addressed complications of ESS in the CF patient. Our review demonstrates a complication rate of 11.5%, which compares favorably with the non-CF ESS complication rates of 0-17% reported in the literature. Critical to successful management of these patients is coordinated care delivered by the pediatrician or internist, the pulmonary specialist, the anesthesia team, and the otolaryngologist. In addition to a review of current literature, we discuss the overall management approach adopted at our institution and highlight elements thought to minimize morbidity.

Computed tomography-guided needle biopsy is a safe and reliable minimally invasive technique for the diagnosis of poorly accessible or deep-seated lesions of the head and neck. Diagnostic needle biopsies allow improved preoperative planning and patient counseling in surgical patients and avoidance of open surgical procedures in patients with benign disease or recurrent malignant neoplasms.

BackgroundA limited number of studies have demonstrated symptomatic improvement for recurrent acute rhinosinusitis (RARS) patients after endoscopic sinus surgery. In this randomized, controlled study we evaluated 24‐week outcomes for balloon sinus dilation (BSD) performed in‐office (IO) with medical management (MM) as compared with MM only for RARS patients.MethodsAdults diagnosed with RARS were randomized to groups with BSD plus MM (n = 29) or MM alone (n = 30). Patients who received MM alone also received a sham BSD‐IO procedure to blind them to group assignment. Patients were followed to 48 weeks posttreatment. The primary outcome was the difference between arms in change in Chronic Sinusitis Survey (CSS) score from baseline to 24 weeks. Secondary endpoints included comparisons of Rhinosinusitis Disability Index (RSDI) score, medication usage, medical care visits, and sinus infections.ResultsChange in patient‐reported quality of life (QOL), as measured by the CSS total score from baseline to 24 weeks, was significantly greater in the BSD plus MM group compared with the MM‐only group (37.3 ± 24.4 [n = 26] vs 21.8 ± 29.0 [n = 27]; p = 0.0424).ConclusionBSD plus MM proved superior to MM alone in enhancing QOL for RARS patients. BSD plus MM should be considered as a viable treatment option for properly diagnosed RARS patients.

Image-guided systems are becoming more widely used in endoscopic sinus and skull base surgery. All systems require initial registration to correlate the CT scan images to the patient's anatomy. Multiple registration techniques can be used. The ideal technique is one that is easy, reproducible, and provides the most accurate registration in the least amount of time. This study used an optical-based image-guided system (LandmarX) to test a unique mask registration technique and (compared it to a previously used anatomic registration technique. Twenty-one patients were scanned with the mask and underwent surgery. Registration was performed using both the registration mask and the anatomic landmarks. Mean registration error and time were recorded. Results are reported for 20 patients. Mean registration error for the mask technique was 0.96 mm and took a mean of 41 seconds. Anatomic registration error using five or six points resulted in a mean initial error of 2.08 mm and took 31.2 seconds. Mean final anatomic registration error was 1.53 mm, requiring reregistration of a mean of 4.6 points, and took 106 seconds. Statistically significant differences were obtained between the two techniques with regard to registration error and time to final registration. We found that the registration mask technique is a more reliable technique in ease, accuracy, and time of registration. This technique should be especially beneficial to the less experienced image-guided surgeon.

A recent publication reported low levels of surgeon radiation exposure during ESS with balloon catheters. This study validates radiation exposure among experienced surgeons is well below the annual occupational radiation exposure limit of 50,000 mrem. With vigilant technique and education, fluoroscopy reliance can be minimized.

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It has been reported that insulin eyedrops are useful preparations for delivering insulin systemically. In order to determine the individual contribution of insulin absorption through the conjunctiva and nasal mucosa, experiments were carried out with and without the puncta occluded, while insulin plus absorption enhancer was instilled into the eye. Blood samples were collected at various time points for blood glucose and plasma insulin determinations. It was found that approximately 28-34% of insulin was absorbed via the conjunctiva and 66-72% through nasal mucosa. The blood glucose was lowered significantly more in rabbits with the puncta opened than in those with the puncta occluded. o