Postoperative irrigation therapy after sinonasal tumor surgery.
BACKGROUND
Sinonasal care after endoscopic tumor resection aims to manage crusting, edema, mucus, and a healing cavity. High-volume irrigations have proved beneficial in this setting. The addition of corticosteroid to the irrigation is used for chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) in modifying the postsurgical inflammatory response; however, its effect in endoscopic sinonasal tumor resection is unknown. Saline alone versus combination saline and corticosteroid irrigations in postoperative nasal care of sinonasal tumor patients was assessed.


METHODS
A retrospective cohort of patients postendoscopic endonasal tumor resection was assessed. Patients used 240 mL of saline or 240 mL of saline with 1 mg of betamethasone daily. Nasal symptom scores (NSSs) and the 22-item Sino-Nasal Outcome test (SNOT-22) was recorded 3 months postoperatively. An endoscopic score was made of the area undergoing secondary healing at 3 months by two blinded assessors.


RESULTS
Fifty-nine patients were assessed (aged 50.1 ± 18.26 years; 36% female subjects). The groups were similar in number (saline n = 31), treatment, and surgical characteristics. The endoscopic scores did not differ between the groups at 3 months. NSS was lower in the saline group (1.0 [interquartile range {IQR}, 3] versus 7.0 [IQR, 9]; p = 0.03) and, similarly, for SNOT-22 (0.24 [IQR, 1] versus 1.09 [IQR, 1]; p = 0.01) compared with the saline with steroid group.


CONCLUSIONS
Although corticosteroid irrigations have become routine for managing inflammatory sinus disease at our center, their use after tumor surgery does not appear to be warranted. The inflammatory healing process after tumor surgery differs from CRS inflammation and may explain the observed findings.
Applied Medical Research Center, St. Vincent's Hospital and University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Hae W
HW
Jo
Dustin M
DM
Dalgorf
Kornkiat
K
Snidvongs
Raymond
R
Sacks
Richard J
RJ
Harvey
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001623:Betamethasone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004487:Edema / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004724:Endoscopy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009079:Mucociliary Clearance / Q000187:drug effects; D009669:Nose Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D010256:Paranasal Sinuses / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D007507:Therapeutic Irrigation / Q000379:methods*; D017211:Treatment Failure; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D001623:Betamethasone