Efficacy and Safety of Xylitol Nasal Irrigation After Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery

Efficacy and Safety of Xylitol Nasal Irrigation After Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Study

Investigators tried to evaluate the efficacy and safety of xylitol nasal irrigation as an adjuvant therapy after FESS, particularly the influence of nasal irrigation on Eustachian tube function.

In this study, patients with chronic rhinosinusitis who received FESS were recruited and randomly assigned to 2 groups at one month post-surgery. Patients in the xylitol group received 400ml of 5% xylitol nasal irrigation daily for 2 months, and those in the normal saline (NS) group received 400ml of NS nasal irrigation daily for 2 months. Before FESS as well as before and after nasal irrigation, sino-nasal symptoms were assessed by a 22-item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test questionnaire and patients received endoscopic examination, nasal function tests, cytokine measurement of nasal irrigant, and bacterial culture from the middle meatus. The safety of nasal irrigation was assessed by self-reported adverse events, blood test, Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Patient Questionnaire and Eustachian tube function test. This study tried to evaluate the efficacy and safety of xylitol nasal irrigation as an adjuvant therapy after FESS, particularly the influence of nasal irrigation on Eustachian tube function.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Patients with chronic rhinosinusitis who failed medical treatment
2. Patients underwent bilateral primary functional endoscopic sinus surgery.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Patients with a history of immunodeficiency
2. Patients with a history of sinus surgery
3. Patients who receiving antibiotic treatment within a week before functional endoscopic sinus surgery
4. Patients with a pathological diagnosis of fungal sinusitis
5. Patients with a pathological diagnosis of sinonasal tumor