Use of a Foley catheter for short-term drainage in frontal sinus surgery

Frontal sinus surgery for chronic disease presents a variety of problems, in particular that of drainage. No matter how successful the surgical technique is in clearing disease from the sinus, it is still important that the fronto-nasal duct is kept patent unless the procedure is an obliterative one. Usually a tube is inserted for drainage and has to be kept in place for several weeks or months. This paper presents a study of 16 patients, suffering from frontal sinus disease, in whom a short-term drainage technique using a Foley catheter was employed between 1979 and 1988 at Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. This type of drainage allows effective anchorage and irrigation with a decongestant. It has been found to give satisfactory results after 14 days in place and has had no unusual complications. It is therefore recommended for use in such cases.