Comparative analysis of postoperative morbidity between vaseline soaked ribbon gauze and nasopore (synthetic polyurethane foam) in patients who underwent endoscopic sinus surgery
Rohit Singh, Nithyanand Chidhambaram and Dipak Ranjan Nayak
Manipal University, India
: J Otol Rhinol
Abstract
Introduction: The practice of nasal packing following surgeries has been followed for decades. The reason behind this practice is to prevent bleeding, support to the structures, to reduce adhesion formation and to induce the reparative process. However patients complain that the presence of nasal pack itself is an uncomfortable experience associated with pain during removal. It has also the risk of re-bleeding and traumatizing the mucosa during removal. Apart from these, the nasal packs also have risk of aggregation of obstructive sleep apnea and Eustachian tube dysfunction. There are various modifications and development in nasal packs to improve patient comfort level. However, there are no specific guidelines on type of pack and when to be use each. Materials & Methods: Our study is a prospective observational study in which 100 patients where studied to compare the immediate and delayed postoperative morbidity between Vaseline ribbon gauze and nasopore in patients who underwent endoscopic sinus surgery. Patient’s postoperative symptoms were assessed by visual analogue scale. Endoscopic assessment at 14th postoperative day was done to look for synechiae, crusting, granulation and bleeding. Results & Conclusion: Nasopore was found to be beneficial in the immediate post op period in term of nasal discomfort and decrease in olfaction when compared to vaseline ribbon gauze. However, there was not much symptomatic score difference in the late postoperative period. The postoperative endoscopic wound healing parameters like synechiae, crusting, granulation and bleeding were also comparable with Vaseline ribbon gauze with no statistical significance.
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