What are the potential complications of Endoscopic Sinus Surgery?

Generally speaking, sinus surgery is common, simple, and safe procedure that rarely results in serious complications. Here is the list of potential complications.

• Bleeding: During the procedure there is generally little bleeding. A small amount of bleeding may occur for the first 1-2 days. If bleeding does not stop you may require nasal packing or surgery to stop the bleeding.
• Failed Correction: In some cases, revision surgery may be required. Some sinus infections are too severe and may either recur or require an additional operation if Dr. Pasha can not reach the diseased area through the nose.
• Scarring: Healing is generally unpredictable. If a scar forms inside the nose, synechia are formed. These synechia may have to be taken down later if they cause nasal obstruction.
• Numbness: Numbness around the gums and teeth has occasionally been reported, however, these symptoms typically resolve.
• Smell: The sense of smell usually improves, although it may occasionally worsen, depending on the extent of infection, allergy or polyps.
• Dryness and Crusting: Sinus surgery may result in excess drying resulting in crusting. You may require nasal irrigations with saline water to reduce the drying.
• Visual Loss: Sinus surgery operates close to the eye structures. Eye injury, although rare, has been a reported complication.
• Intracranial Complications: The brain is located above the inside of the nose. Although rare, operating in this area has been reported to cause a leak of fluid (CSF leak) or allow infection to enter causing meningitis or other brain infections.
• Voice Changes: Sinus surgery may cause a slight change in the timbre of your voice. In most cases this unnoticeable. However, if you are a professional singer you should consider this potential.
• Tearing: After surgery you may have some tearing especially is there is nasal packing. Rarely, the tear duct may be injured causing excessive tearing; If this occurs, one may require a corrective procedure.
• Risk from Anesthesia: Sinus surgery is done under general anesthesia (you will be asleep). Although extremely rare, complications may occur from the medicines and the procedure itself of anesthesia.