Abstract:

Objective      To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of balloon catheter devices to dilate obstructed frontal sinus ostia or perform sinusotomy.  Methods      14 patients(21 ballooned sinuses)who had frontal sinus ostia dilated with balloon catheters were  evaluated 48 weeks after surgery, and sinus symptoms were determined by the SinoNasal Outcome Test (SNOT 20).  Results      Endoscopy determined that sinusotomy was present  in 12 patients (19 ballooned sinuses) and stenotic in 2 patients (3 ballooned sinuses). No serious post-operative complications such as cerebrospinal rhinorrhea, vision change or  diplopia occurred. 24-week and 48-week SNOT-20 scores respectively showed  significant improvement from baseline (1.08 vs 2.28, P＜0.001) and (1.17 vs 2.28, P＜0.001).  Conclusions      Besides durable clinical results, balloon catheter technology appears safe and effective in relieving ostial obstruction. Patients were pleased and indicated that they experienced significant symptomatic improvement.

Key words:  Sinusitis; Frontal sinus; Endoscopic sinus surgery, operative; Balloon catheter1