Benefits and Risks – Ethmoidectomy

Be sure to ask your doctor for a detailed explanation of the benefits and risks of the procedure, as well as his or her experience performing this kind of surgery.

Benefits

After your ethmoidectomy, you should have fewer sinus infections along with the symptoms that go with them, like headaches, facial pressure and pain, stuffy nose, and nasal discharge.

Like other FESS procedures, it’s usually minimally invasive and you may be able to go home the same day. FESS is generally associated with a lower risk of infection and faster recovery than traditional sinus surgery.

Risks

All surgery carries some risk from anaesthesia and possible infection therefore please discuss these with your healthcare professional. With an ethmoidectomy, you may have some bleeding after the operation. There is some risk of a cerebrospinal fluid leak and other serious intracranial injuries to the brain that can be difficult to repair.

Because the ethmoid sinuses are so close to the eyes, there is a risk of damage to the muscle that controls eye movement and the optic nerve itself. This injury is also hard to fix once it’s damaged. Also, bleeding into the eyes can affect your vision if it’s not treated right away.

In very rare cases, patients lose some or all of their sense of smell. Patients with additional health problems may have other risks. Be sure to ask your doctor about potential complications from your procedure.

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