Mometasone implant for chronic rhinosinusitis

The Propel mometasone-eluting stent (Intersect ENT, Palo Alto, CA) is the first Food and Drug Administration-approved device for delivering steroid medication into the ethmoid cavity following surgery. The implant is composed of a biodegradable polymer in a lattice pattern that expands in a spring-like fashion to conform to the walls of a dissected ethmoid cavity and contains a total of 370 μg of mometasone furoate designed for gradual release over 30 days. The purpose of this article is to review the mode of action and the evidence supporting the efficacy of this novel technology. Three recently published clinical trials have demonstrated that the mometasone-eluting stent produced statistically significant reductions in inflammation, polyp formation, and postoperative adhesions. In addition, the implant has been found to significantly reduce the need for postoperative administration of oral steroids and to decrease the frequency of postoperative lysis of adhesions. Minimal adverse effects were reported in these trials and included infection, crusting, and granulation tissue formation. Although the placement of steroid-impregnated packing, stents, sponges, and gels has previously been used in the postoperative sinus cavities, the Propel mometasone-eluting stent introduces a new mechanism for localized and controlled delivery of topical therapy directly to the nasal mucosa for chronic rhinosinusitis.