Complications of Sinus Surgery

Sinus surgery is a procedure employed to remove the sinus tissue when it gets diseased. This surgery also improves the channels of natural drainage and creates a new pathway for the infected material to get drained from the sinus cavities. Most commonly the surgeon will use endoscopic techniques to perform sinus surgery.

Using endoscope, the surgeon can view and open the blocked sinus tissue openings. The sinus surgery is mostly successful however leading to certain complications in few patients. The complications of sinus surgery occur only at very less probability. In this surgery, even well experienced surgeon may meet complications from time to time.

The complications of sinus surgery are listed below:

Bleeding: Most common complication of sinus surgery is the bleeding that occurs during and after the surgery. There might be excessive bleeding in certain cases. Also few drops of blood can expel during forward bending. In case of heavy bleeding, the patient has to be admitted in the hospital. Packing will be done at the nose to stop the bleeding.

Infections: Infections might occur after the sinus surgery. Due to infections, the patient will suffer from obstruction, pressure, pain and unusual discharge from nose such as green or yellow discharge. To prevent oneself, the patient has to regularly take the antibiotics as prescribed by the Doctor.

Voice Quality: After sinus surgery, the patient’s voice may change. Since this surgery may change the structure of the sinus which is a part of the voice resonance area, voice clarity might get altered.

Brain Injury: Brain is situated near to the sinuses. Hence there are chances for the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) surrounding the brain to leak out during the surgery. This can cause severe complication to the patient such as watery discharge from the nose and may even lead to meningitis at extreme cases. This complication of sinus surgery usually occurs in 0.2% of cases.

Eye injury: Since the sinuses are closer to the eyes, the sinus surgery may cause harmful effect on the eyes. There are chances of eye bruising, swelling of the eyes and double vision to occur. In rare cases, bleeding can occur around the sides of the eye. Very rarely when the optic nerve gets damaged, the vision might be lost.

Other Complications of Sinus Surgery: Black eyes or facial bruising, nose scars, fever, headache and continued pain, blurred vision, eye pain and tightness, stiff neck, disorientation, extreme tiredness are few other complications of sinus surgery.

Irrespective of the severity, if the patient undergoes any of the complications of sinus surgery then the patient has to immediately meet the Doctor and undergo appropriate treatment.

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