Steroid-eluting stents in challenging frontal sinus surgery: A critical real world experience

This study investigates the impact of placing steroid-eluting stents in the frontal sinus outflow tract on the need for postoperative interventions and postoperative changes in symptoms.

We performed a retrospective case-control study between January 2018 and December 2022 in 21 patients in each group with and without a steroid-eluting stent placed in the frontal sinus outflow tract. The outcome between the two groups was investigated regarding the need for revision surgery and changes in pre- and postoperative symptoms.

Comparison between the two groups in the postoperative course revealed no statistically significant differences with respect to postoperative interventions. Further analysis of the postoperative symptoms demonstrated statistically significant reduced hyposmia, rhinorrhea, and nasal obstruction in the group with stenting after surgery than before surgery, whereas pain and rhinorrhea were reported significantly less frequently in the group without stenting in the postoperative course.

This study revealed no statistically significant differences in the postoperative course between the stenting and no-stenting group regarding early postoperative interventions (local intervention, revision surgery). Accordingly, this study is the first to show no significant difference in the postoperative intervention rates, whereas previous studies have all shown a significant difference in the need for postoperative interventions.