Usefulness of Curved-Shaft Needles for Infiltrating the Sphenopalatine Area

The objective of this study is to evaluate what types of needles are optimal and efficient for infiltrating the sphenopalatine area during endoscopic sinus surgery. Prospective, randomized, open-labeled study was designed. Sixty-three sides of nasal cavities of 45 patients were randomly assigned to three groups with different needle shapes. The group 1 needles had a straight shaft, the group 2 had an obtuse curved shaft, and the group 3 had an arch-shape shaft. The infiltration time for group 1 was longer than that for group 2 and group 3. There was significant difference in the secondary infiltration time between group 1 and group 3 (p = 0.005). We devised new curved-shaft needles that can utilize the 'lever effect' and showed that they are more efficient than straight shaft needles for infiltrating the sphenopalatine area.