Pediatric Endoscopic Sinus Surgery

• Endoscopic sinus surgery usually takes between one and three hours and is done in the operating room with the child under general anesthesia.
• Most young children spend the night in the hospital but some older children may stay for only a couple of hours after surgery.
• Depending on the surgeon's preference and the needs of the child, endoscopic sinus surgery may be performed at the same time as another operation, such as septoplasty, tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy or insertion of ear tubes.

• Your child will have intravenous (IV) fluids until time of discharge. Clear liquids for your child to drink are available in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU), also called the recovery room.
• Your child may complain of a sore nose, not being able to breathe through the nose and difficulty swallowing.
• A pain reliever may be given for pain. An antibiotic is occasionally prescribed to prevent infection.
• The head of the bed will be raised in the PACU to help with swelling, breathing and drainage. At home you should have pillows or a recliner chair available to help your child stay comfortable with his or her head elevated above the level of the chest.
• There may be packing in the nose to prevent bleeding. Sometimes, this packing is dissolvable. The doctor may remove this packing in one or two weeks or it may dissolve on its own. If the packing needs to be removed, it may be done in the doctor's office for older, cooperative children or may be done in the operation room under anesthesia.
• If a septoplasty (straightening of the bone and cartilage in the center of the nose) is performed, then splints may be placed inside the nose at the end of the operation. These will be removed at the doctor's office in one to two weeks and may cause some discomfort while they are in place.
• If packing is used, your child may be able to feel it in his or her nose. Your child should be told before surgery that they may feel like they have something in their nose when they wake up. If packing is not used, swelling may cause this feeling. Your child should know that he or she will not be allowed to forcefully blow his or her nose for a week or two.
• At first, there may be some drainage from the nose. You may see a small piece of gauze taped under your child's nose. This is called a "drip pad." This is usually only needed for the first day, if at all. The drainage from the nose will probably be tinged with blood. Your child may cough or spit up some pink or brown mucus.
• Most children are fussy the first few hours after this procedure.
• Your child may begin normal play after several days but may need to stay home from school until the discomfort improves. Consult your child's doctor for more specific recommendations.
• Your child's doctor may recommend the use of nasal ointment, salt water spray or nasal steroid spray after surgery. Follow instructions carefully.

The following are some of the symptoms that may indicate a need for you to promptly contact your child's doctor:

• Bright red bleeding from the nose or mouth
• Double or impaired vision
• A persistent leak of clear fluid from the nose
• If your child vomits bright red blood or a coffee ground-like material
• If your child develops a croupy (barky) cough, cry or wheezing
• If your child's temperature rises greater than 101.5 degrees rectally or greater than 100.5 degrees orally
• Vomiting (or if the vomiting becomes severe)
• Signs of dehydration (a child can become dehydrated when he or she has prolonged or severe vomiting and is not able to drink enough fluid)

A visit with your child's doctor will be scheduled for one to two weeks after surgery and then again several more times in the months after surgery to make sure that the nose is healing properly. Consult your child's doctor if you have any questions.

If you or your child is having a procedure at Children’s National Hospital, we encourage you to learn more about having surgery (Having Surgery) prior to your visit.