The pain is minimal although there are a few days of discomfort while packing is in the nose. Most people feel better 3-5 days after surgery and return to normal activities within a week. It should be noted that all sinus surgeries, when possible should be performed when the infection is at a minimum, with good light, good visibility so the surgeon can visualize the nasal cavity clearly. Nearly all that can be achieved with endoscopic telescopes and InstaTrak technology developed recently. Sinus surgeries do sometimes need revisions and at these times InstaTrak is invaluable.
Surgery is to be performed only when medical therapy has failed.
To surgeons who must work deep inside the nasal cavities, within millimeters of delicate areas of the eyes and brain, the new system allows the sinus surgeon to navigate the sinus cavities with an added margin of precision and safety. Before surgery, the patient undergoes a CT scan wearing a special InstaTrak headset, which is placed on the bridge of the nose and the external ear canals. The headset is used with the CT scan to create a three-dimensional road map of the patient's sinus anatomy. In essence, this special technology gives accuracy where and how close they are to important structures within and surrounding the sinuses. This surgical procedure is designed to be quick, painless, no general anesthesia and no downtime.