TY - JOUR
AR - SCR-2020-4-110
TI - Prolonged Implantation of Sinus Devices and Implications for Chronic Rhinosinusitis: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
AU - Adam J. , Kimple
AU - Adam M. , Zanation
AU - Brian D. , Thorp
AU - Charles S. , Ebert Jr.
AU - Drew , Cutshaw
AU - Mark W. , Gelpi
AU - Saangyoung, E. Lee
AU - William C. , Brown
JO - Surgical Case Reports
PY - 2020
DA - Tue 28, Apr 2020
SN - 2613-5965
DO - http://dx.doi.org/10.31487/j.SCR.2020.04.10
UR - https://www.sciencerepository.org/prolonged-implantation-of-sinus-devices_SCR-2020-4-110 
KW - Chronic rhinosinusitis, foreign body, functional endoscopic sinus surgery, sinus implant, stent, spacer
AB - Background: Implantation of sinus stents and spacers can be used as adjuvant management to maintain
patency of sinuses after endoscopic sinus surgery for chronic rhinosinusitis. These implants are typically
removed several weeks after surgery. We present two cases of different patients who were initially treated
by different physicians and were found to have retained sinus spacers in their paranasal sinuses 6-10 years
after implantation.
Case Presentation: Case 1: A 40-year-old male with chronic rhinosinusitis and history of balloon sinuplasty
six years prior presented with worsening symptoms of chronic rhinosinusitis refractory to medical
management. He underwent revision functional endoscopic sinus surgery and was found to have retained
sinus implants in the left and right frontal sinus recesses. Case 2: A 48-year-old female with long-standing
chronic rhinosinusitis refractory to medical management presented after two prior sinus surgeries most
recently 10 years ago. She underwent revision functional endoscopic surgery and was found to have a
retained sinus implant from prior surgery in the right frontal recess outflow tract embedded within scar
tissue and reactive hyperostosis. Foreign bodies from both patients were removed without complication and
patients were healing appropriately in the post-operative period.
Conclusions: While sinus stents and spacers can help with post-operative scarring, leaving then
unmonitored and in place will eventually result in them becoming a nidus for scarring and infection. It is
critical that patients are aware of any foreign bodies we place, if they need scheduled removal or routine
observation, and what symptoms may indicate that they are causing a problem.