Endoscopic sinus surgery helps patients restore their sense of smell

The results of Mr. Dang's nasal endoscopy at Tam Anh General Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City showed that the mucosa was edematous, and the middle slit had cloudy mucus secretion.

CT scan of the nose and sinuses revealed mucosal thickening with fluid collections filling the maxillary, ethmoid, frontal, and sphenoid sinuses on both sides. The bilateral foramen complex is blocked, nasal polyps, S-shaped nasal septum, pneumatization of the left middle turbinate.

MSc.BSc.CKII Tran Thi Thuy Hang, Head of the Department of Ear, Nose and Throat, Ear, Nose and Throat Center, diagnosed Mr. Dang with mucoid rhinosinusitis, bilateral nasal polyps and S-shaped deviated septum. This condition is less common than unilateral deviated septum (C-shaped), causing narrowing of the airways.

Polyps and swollen mucosa block odor molecules from reaching the olfactory area, while prolonged inflammation damages olfactory receptors, causing increasingly severe loss of smell.

The doctor prescribed sinus surgery to remove polyps and correct the nasal septum to help clear the airways and restore the patient's sense of smell.

Through the endoscopic screen, the doctor expanded the sinus passages, vacuumed out the inflammatory fluid, cut out the polyp in the nasal cleft between the two sides, and sent it for pathology. Finally, the doctor corrects the septum by dissecting the mucosa, removing the crooked septal cartilage and bone.

After surgery, Mr. Dang breathed more clearly through his nose and was discharged from the hospital two days later. At follow-up examination, the surgical wound healed well, the patient's nasal congestion decreased, and his sense of smell gradually recovered. Dr. Hang said the patient's ability to smell will recover when inflammation reduces and the smell reaches the olfactory area.

Sinusitis is a condition in which the mucosa lining the sinus cavities next to the nose becomes infected, swollen, and edematous. If inflammation persists, the mucosa swells, thickens, degenerates, sags and forms polyps.

Polyps do not disappear without treatment, but controlling sinusitis can help reduce polyp size. When large polyps cause prolonged nasal obstruction, reduced sense of smell, recurrent chronic sinusitis, and do not respond to medical treatment, the doctor prescribes endoscopic sinus surgery to remove the polyp.

Loss of smell and decreased sense of smell can be signs of sinus disease, nasal polyps or structural abnormalities in the nasal cavity. When abnormalities are detected, patients also need to go to an Ear, Nose and Throat doctor for timely diagnosis and treatment to help reduce inflammation and limit the impact on olfactory function.

Uyen Trinh

*Patient's name has been changed