Endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) is a minimally invasive outpatient procedure used in the treatment of many nasal and sinus conditions. A small and narrow instruments are placed in the nostrils and passed through the nasal and sinus cavities with the aid of a rigid endoscope. The CT scans are coupled to the surgical instruments by an electromagnetic tracking system. The setup gives the surgeon the ability to navigate, in real-time, the surgical instruments within the diseased sinuses, and correlate their position with vital structures while watching the monitor. The instruments are thus used to remove diseased sinus tissue or open obstructed areas of the nose and sinuses.
There are some risks associated with the sinus surgery, including bleeding, chronic nasal drainage, allergy and some other respiratory illnesses. The surgery takes a few hours, and recovery may take a few days. It may take up to 3 to 5 days to feel completely normal again.
