There are four groups of sinuses:
- Frontal sinuses (in the forehead)
- Ethmoid sinuses (between the eyes)
- Maxillary sinuses (cheekbone area)
- Sphenoid sinuses (behind the eyes)
Sinuses are hollow cavities in facial skeleton and communicate via narrow passages called Ostia. They naturally produce mucus, which is transported into the nasal cavity. In certain conditions, (e.g. infection, nasal polyps or structural abnormalities) the entrance to a sinus may become blocked then mucus builds up within the affected sinus. If it remains there for a long time period, it becomes infected resulting in “ sinusitis”. If this does not resolve properly it will destroy the normal function of your nose creating a condition known as “chronic sinusitis”. After failure of conservative treatment, endoscopic surgery can be performed to reopen the door of the affected sinuses. The operation takes about 1 to 2 hours usually under light sedation. No incision is made on your face and there are no black eyes after the surgery.