Risks and Benefits of an Ethmoidectomy

For over 20 years, Dr. James Freije has been providing patients with high-quality care in otolaryngology head and neck surgery. Currently practicing with Mount Nittany Physician Group in State College, Pennsylvania, Dr. James Freije has experience with a wide variety of procedures, including the ethmoidectomy.

Used to treat sinus infections and other conditions resulting from blockage of the nasal passageways, an ethmoidectomy is an intranasal, outpatient procedure performed by a medical professional specializing in ENT conditions. There are several benefits of having an ethmoidectomy. The procedure decreases the number of sinus infections patients have and reduces the symptoms associated with such infections. Additionally, since it is minimally invasive, patients go home the same day and have quicker recoveries and lower risks of infection than those who opt for more traditional sinus surgery.

However, there are a few risks associated with having an ethmoidectomy. As with all surgery, the procedure carries some risk related to the use of anesthesia. Beyond that, patients may experience dryness of the nose, loss of smell, or pain following the procedure, and some intracranial injuries to the brain may occur, though they are rare. There is also a risk of damage to the muscle responsible for eye movement or even the optic nerve, resulting in changes in, or loss of, vision; fortunately, this problem is also rare.