Prevention and management of synechia in pediatric endoscopic sinus surgery using dental wax plates

Synechia formation is a very common complication of endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS). Inspite of meticulous post-operative care, synechia do form in quite a large number of patients. Moreover, frequent post-operative cleaning may not be possible without general anesthesia in non-compliant patients, especially children. This study compares the incidence of synechia following pediatric ESS with or without spacer:tamponade in the operated cavity. The authors have found dental wax plates to be equally effective and more economical spacers compared to Merocel(R) tamponade, in prevention and management of synechia in the pediatric age group. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.