title: Patient comfort following FESS and Nasopore® packing, a double blind, prospective, randomized trial.
abstract: The use of nasal packing after functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) is often associated with pain and a feeling of pressure for patients. The aim of the present work was to investigate a modern wound dressing made of polyurethane (Nasopore®) that makes removal of the nasal packing unnecessary and is focussed on patient comfort.
  
  
  
  Following bilateral FESS, after randomisation, one side was packed with Nasopore® while the other side was without packing as a control. The following parameters from 47 patients were determined daily in two centres from post-operative day 1 for the duration of the inpatient stay in a double-blinded setting: side-specific post-operative bleeding, nasal breathing and feeling of pressure as well as the general parameters sleep disturbance, headaches and general well-being. Which side patients considered subjectively the better was also recorded.
  
  
  
  No significant differences were determined between the two sides in terms of the rates of post-operative bleeding and nasal breathing. The feeling of pressure was slightly less on the side packed with Nasopore® on post-operative days 2 and 3. No trend could be observed regarding which side patients described as being subjectively better.
  
  
  
  There were only slight differences in patient comfort between the Nasopore® side and the control. Because the feeling of pressure in the midface was significantly less and there were no complications, this suggests there is greater patient comfort when using Nasopore® compared to using no nasal packing.
authors.forename: K G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Kastl
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reichert
authors.forename: M O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Scheithauer
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sommer
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kisser
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Braun
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Havel
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leunig
mesh_terms: D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods*; D004844:Epistaxis / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D000070659:Patient Comfort; D011140:Polyurethanes / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry; D019106:Postoperative Hemorrhage / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014945:Wound Healing
chemical_list: D011140:Polyurethanes