Sinus Surgery in Children

The sinuses are air spaces in the skull that allow mucus to drain out of the nose. When an irritant prevents mucus from draining, the sinuses become blocked. This causes many symptoms in a child, including pain and a constant runny nose. To clear up the blockage and relieve symptoms, surgery is the only option for some children.

Causes

• Sinus surgery in children is needed when a child has chronic sinusitis (inflammation of the sinuses) that will not go away. If a child has had acute sinusitis at least six times within a year, surgery is needed as well.

Effects

• Sinus surgery opens the drainage pathways of the sinuses and helps to restore their normal function.

Procedure

• Sinus surgery is performed in a child by placing small telescopes in the child's nose to open up the nasal pathways. This procedure drains mucus from the sinuses and helps prevent infections from reoccurring.

Complications

• Serious complications of sinus surgery in children are uncommon but include leaking of spinal fluid and (very rarely) damage to the child's optic nerve, which will cause blindness.

Considerations

• Sinus surgery is difficult to perform in children because their sinuses are relatively small.