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Updated: Jun 13, 2026
Endoscopic Septoplasty with Limited Two-line Resection: Minimally Invasive Surgery for Septal Deviation
Published on: June 20, 2018
Randomized controlled trial of hyaluronic acid/carboxymethylcellulose dressing after endoscopic sinus surgery
Bradford A Woodworth1, Rakesh K Chandra, Mark J Hoy
1Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina Hospital, Charleston, SC 29425, USA.
Objective:
To determine if a hyaluronic acid/carboxymethylcellulose (HA/CMC) sinus dressing reduces the rate of postoperative scarring.
Methods:
In a randomized, matched-controlled, single-blinded study, following the completion of surgery, an HA/CMC dressing was randomly assigned to one side with the opposite unpacked side serving as a control.
Results:
Fifty-three patients underwent surgery for chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS; 39 patients) or CRS with nasal polyposis (14 patients). At the 8-week follow-up, there was no difference in synechiae on the HA/CMC side compared to the control (p = 0.09). HA/CMC-treated sinuses, however, demonstrated fewer synechiae in the first 2 weeks postoperatively compared to the control (p = 0.01), and were associated with significantly less nasal congestion at the 4-week (p = 0.02) and 8-week follow-up visits (0.03).
Conclusion:
There was no long-term difference in the rate of synechiae in the HA/CMC-treated sinus compared to the control. However, less severe nasal congestion and synechiae in the initial postoperative period may reduce the need for aggressive sinus debridement.