Jubilee Hospital, Trivandrum
Nasal polyps are usually allergic in origin. They are usually benign growth, meaning not harmful. Polyps appear as soft swellings, which hang down like small grapes. Polyps come in many shapes and sizes.
Nasal polyps come from the mucous membranes, which line your sinuses. Your sinuses are hollow spaces in the bones of your face and skull. These spaces connect with the inside of your nose through tiny holes and passages. Polyps can come through these openings into the inside of your nose and block your nasal passages. Steroid tablets or sprays may shrink nasal polyps. They may return when the steroids are stopped.
The polyps may get bigger causing more nasal and sinus blockage. As your nose fills with polyps, your sense of smell will probably reduce. The blockage may cause a fluid build up in your sinuses. This can lead to infection and painful sinuses, called sinusitis.
Surgical Treatment
FESS is the surgical technique employed to remove a nasal polyp that is not easily visible or is located on the roof of the nose or on the sinuses. The procedure may be done under local or general anesthesia. It is done with the aid of a rigid fiber optic endoscopes — an instrument with a tiny camera attached to a thin tube and used to give the surgeon a better view of the polyp and the area surrounding it. The ENT surgeon removes the nasal polyp using tiny instruments and guided by the endoscope.
Prior to surgery, a patient is usually required to undergo certain tests. These tests may include, among others, nasal and sinus endoscopies and computerized CT scan of the sinuses. Additional tests may also be advised for a patient suffering from a medical condition or disease that precludes nasal polyp surgery as a treatment option.
The growth of nasal polyp may also recur. As such, it may be necessary to continue with treatment after surgery to prevent the recurrence of nasal polyps and their symptoms.
