Image-Guided Sinus Surgery

  • Fall 2019

Sinus X-ray

Each year about 35 million Americans develop chronic sinus infections, also known as sinusitis, making it one of the most common health conditions. To help local patients who live with chronic sinusitis, Brookings Health has once again grown services to now include image-guided sinus surgery.

With the recent additions of Otolaryngologists Dr. Thomas Tamura of Midwest ENT and Dr. Jonathan Mellema of Avera Medical Group, Brookings Health has significantly expanded access to Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) services. This means area patients can receive diagnosis, treatment, medical and surgical services for conditions affecting the head, neck, sinuses, ears, nose and throat close to home. 

To support the service expansion, Brookings Health has invested in new ENT surgical equipment and instrumentation designed for the delicate areas of the head and neck. Part of that purchase includes a surgical platform and navigation system to perform minimally invasive image-guided sinus surgery.

“Image guidance is becoming the standard of care for ENT procedures,” said OR Director Candace Johnson. “To avoid scars, sinus procedures are typically performed through the patient’s nasal cavity, a very fragile area. The ENT surgical platform increases sinus procedure accuracy and safety which results in shorter recovery, less pain and better outcomes for patients.”

The surgical platform creates 3D images using pre-operative CT scans of the patient’s sinus cavities. At the beginning of surgery, the surgeon scans a patient’s head to match it up with the CT scan. An electromagnet field is then established around the patient’s head so the surgeon can guide and track instruments in real-time via the 3D images. Using a magnifying endoscope, an illuminated tubular instrument the size of a pencil, the ENT surgeon removes the affected tissue and bone. 

The goal of sinus surgery is to flush out infected material, open up blocked passages and keep enough healthy tissue so that a patient’s nose and sinuses can function normally. The surgery resolves most patients’ symptoms, such as nasal congestion, facial pressure and sinus headaches. In addition, most patients experience significantly fewer sinus infections.

Want to learn more about ENT services available at Brookings Health System? Visit brookingshealth.org/ENT.