Comparison of Balloon Sinuplasty Versus Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS) in the Management of Chronic Rhinosinusitis
1Babar Shahzad, 2Umar Tipu, 3Mansoor Musa, 4Qamar Abbas, 5Isma Abbas, 6Dr Mian Amer Majeed
1Service Hospital Lahore.
2Sir Gangaran Hospital Lahore.
3Agha Khan Hospital Karachi.
4PIMS Islamabad
5UHS Lahore
6Associate Professor ENT, CMH Kharian Medical College, Kharian Cantt
Vol: 14/02
Received: January 02, 2024 Accepted: March 12, 2024 Published: June 13, 2024
ABSTRACT:
Background: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) had remained a common and challenging condition affecting patients’ quality of life, often requiring surgical intervention when medical management failed. Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS) had long been the standard surgical approach, while Balloon Sinuplasty emerged as a minimally invasive alternative with promising outcomes. Aim: The study was conducted to compare the effectiveness, safety, and postoperative outcomes of Balloon Sinuplasty versus FESS in the management of CRS.
Methods: This prospective comparative study was carried out at Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad, from June 2024 to May 2025. A total of 80 patients diagnosed with CRS, unresponsive to medical therapy, were included and equally divided into two groups: Group A underwent Balloon Sinuplasty, while Group B underwent FESS. Preoperative and postoperative outcomes were assessed using symptom scores, radiological evaluation, complication rates, and recovery parameters. Statistical analysis was performed to determine the significance of differences between the two techniques.
Results: Balloon Sinuplasty was associated with shorter operative times, reduced intraoperative bleeding, and quicker postoperative recovery compared to FESS. Patients in the Balloon Sinuplasty group reported lower pain scores and faster return to normal activities. However, FESS demonstrated greater efficacy in cases with extensive sinonasal disease and polyp formation. Both procedures significantly improved quality of life scores and symptom relief, though the overall complication rate was lower in the Balloon Sinuplasty group.
Conclusion: The study concluded that both Balloon Sinuplasty and FESS were effective in the management of CRS. Balloon Sinuplasty proved advantageous in terms of safety, patient comfort, and recovery, making it suitable for selected cases with less extensive disease. FESS, however, remained superior in patients with advanced CRS and nasal polyposis. A tailored surgical approach based on disease severity was recommended to optimize patient outcomes.
Keywords: Chronic rhinosinusitis, Balloon Sinuplasty, Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS), Surgical outcomes, Minimally invasive surgery.