Outcome of Sinus Balloon Catheter Dilation in Adenoidectomy Failures

Abstract

Objective: Adenoidectomy is the first line of surgical management for children with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). This procedure is successful in only 50% of patients. The goal of this study is to assess surgical outcomes in children undergoing sinus balloon catheter dilation who have failed previous adenoidectomy.

Method: This is a prospective review of children who had surgery for CRS between January 2006 and February 2010. Children included had persistent symptoms after adenoidectomy as documented by SN-5 score and positive CT score. The main outcome measure was the SN-5 score at 1-year postprocedure.

Results: Twenty six children met inclusion criteria. The age range was 4 to 12 years with average age of 8 years (SD, 2.5). The average CT score, as graded by the Lund-Mackay, was 7.3 (SD, 2.9). The minimum preoperative SN-5 score was 3.0, with an average of 4.6 (SD, 0.9). The average time of postoperative follow-up is 13 months (SD, 3.0). The average SN-5 score at 1 year was 3.0 (SD, 1.2). This was a significant change from preoperative scores (P .5 on the postoperative SN-5, score was achieved in 22 children, equaling a success rate of 85%.

Conclusion: Sinus balloon catheter dilation has previously been shown to be safe and effective in children. This current study demonstrates that balloon dilation is effective in children who have failed previous adenoidectomy. Balloon catheter dilation may be considered prior to proceeding to functional endoscopic sinus surgery in children with CRS.