Effectiveness of balloon sinuplasty in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis without polyposis.

INTRODUCTION Balloon sinuplasty is a minimally invasive endoscopic procedure, developed with the aim of restoring patency of the paranasal sinuses ostia with minimal damage to the mucosa. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effectiveness of balloon sinuplasty in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis. METHODS This was a prospective cohort study comprising 18 patients with chronic rhinosinusitis without polyposis who underwent balloon sinuplasty. Patients were evaluated for clinical criteria, quality of life (Sino-Nasal Outcome Questionnaire Test-20 [SNOT-20]), and computed tomography of the sinuses (Lund-Mackay staging) preoperatively and three to six months after the procedure. RESULTS Out of 18 patients assessed, 13 were included, with a mean age of 39.9±15.6 years. Ostia sinuplasty was performed in 24 ostia (four sphenoid, ten frontal, and ten maxillary sinus). At the follow-up, 22 (92%) ostia were patent and there was no major complication. There was symptomatic improvement (SNOT-20), with Cronbach coefficients for consistency of the questionnaire items of 0.86 (95% CI: 0.73-0.94) preoperatively and of 0.88 (95% CI: 0.77-0.95) postoperatively, the difference being statistically significant (p<0.001). In addition, there was marked reduction of the computed tomography signs, an average of 4.2 point score (p<0.001). CONCLUSION Sinuplasty is effective in reducing symptoms and improving quality of life as a treatment option for chronic rhinosinusitis in selected patients.