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Updated: Jun 28, 2026
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Published on: April 8, 2013
A preliminary randomised controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of saline douching following endoscopic sinus
S R M Freeman1, E S G Sivayoham, K Jepson
1Department of Otolaryngology, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Lancashire, UK. simonfreeman71@gmail.com
Objective:
To assess whether saline reduces postoperative signs following endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS).
Design:
Within subject, single blinded randomised controlled trial.
Setting:
Single secondary referral centre.
Participants:
Adults undergoing bilateral ESS for chronic rhinosinusitis or nasal polyposis.
Intervention:
Saline douching of one side of the nasal cavity, three times per day for 6 weeks.
Main Outcome Measures:
Presence of adhesions, polyps, crusting, discharge or oedema under endoscopic examination at 3 weeks and 3 months postoperative.
Results:
Twenty-three patients were recruited. Attendance was 22 patients at 3 weeks and 17 patients at 3 months. At 3 weeks saline douching significantly improved the presence of discharge (P = 0.046) and non-significantly improved the presence of oedema (P = 0.059) with minimal difference with regard to polyps (P = 0.32) and no difference with adhesions or crusting. At 3 months there was minimal difference with regard to crusting (P = 0.18) and oedema (P = 0.32) and no difference with adhesions, discharge and polyps.
Conclusions:
Saline douching reduces nasal discharge and may improve oedema during the healing phase following ESS which may represent a possible anti-inflammatory role. No long-term effect was found.
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