The Asthma Center

Surgical treatment of sinusitis

Sinus surgery may be required for severe sinusitis. Approximately 175,000 individuals in the United States undergo sinus surgery every year. While there have been remarkable changes in sinus surgery techniques, sinus surgery remains a serious and invasive procedure. Surgery does not replace medical therapy, environmental avoidance techniques and/or allergy immunotherapy but instead is combined with these therapies. Sinus surgery should only be considered when medical therapies have failed to improve symptoms and quality of life.

Several sinus conditions may require surgery including:

  • Recurrent chronic sinusitis
  • Large nasal polyps
  • Significant septal deviations
  • Concha bullosa
  • Noninfected cysts that fill the sinuses (mucoceles)
  • Infected cysts (mucopyoceles)
  • Allergic fungal sinusitis
  • Suspected tumors
  • Serious eye or brain complications

Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS)
Other Types of Sinus Surgery
Post Operative Care
What happens if surgery fails?