The effects of Vaseline gauze strip, Merocel, and Nasopore on the formation of synechiae and excessive granulation tissue in the middle meatus and the incidence of major postoperative bleeding after endoscopic sinus surgery.

BACKGROUND Endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) has become the widely accepted procedure for the treatment of medically refractory chronic rhinosinusitis and nasal polyps. Nasal packing is usually placed after ESS to prevent synechia formation and postoperative bleeding and to support wound healing. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of three different nasal packing materials [Vaseline gauze strip, Merocel (Metronic Xomed, Jacksonville, FL, USA), and Nasopore (Polyganics, Rozenburglaan, Groningen, The Netherlands)] on the formation of synechiae and excessive granulation tissue in the middle meatus and incidence of major postoperative bleeding in patients who had undergone ESS. METHODS A total of 626 patients (1,018 sides) who had undergone ESS were studied retrospectively. Each patient chose one of the three different nasal packing materials according to his or her own preference. The outcome variable was the formation of synechiae and excessive granulation tissue in the middle meatus, which was identified from the medical records of endoscopic evaluations performed 3-4 weeks and 10-12 weeks after surgery. Major postoperative bleeding within 2 weeks after the operation was also documented for analysis. Finally, multiple logistic regression models were used to confirm the results of this study. RESULTS We did not observe significant intergroup differences in the effect on the formation of synechiae in the middle meatus. Nasopore packing showed a trend toward causing the formation of excessive granulation tissue during the early stages of wound healing (p=0.004). Patients who had received packing with Nasopore had a greater chance of undergoing readmission or additional packing because of major nasal bleeding within the first 2 weeks after the operation (p=0.03). Multivariable logistic regression models showed that Nasopore was a significant factor for the formation of excessive granulation tissue at 3-4 weeks after the operation (p=0.022) and for major postoperative nasal bleeding within the first 2 weeks after the operation (p=0.023). CONCLUSION Among patients who had undergone ESS for rhinosinusitis with or without polyps, the incidence of synechiae and excessive granulation tissue in the middle meatus and major postoperative bleeding in the patients who received Vaseline gauze packing was equivalent to the incidence of these complications in the patients who received Merocel. Nasopore was not superior to the other two nonabsorbable packing materials.