Endoscope‐Guided Balloon Sinuplasty of the Equine Nasomaxillary Opening

Abstract

Balloon sinuplasty of the NMO opening is an easily performed, clinically applicable technique for use in standing horses. Clinical studies will be necessary to evaluate the efficacy of this technique in diseased sinuses.

A Single Caudally Based Frontonasal Bone Flap for Treatment of Bilateral Mucocele in the Paranasal Sinuses of an American Miniature Horse

“…Whereas others have shown surgical creation of a nasosinus ostium is not required to improve drainage after most sinus procedures, 5,24 it was considered essential in this horse. Endoscope-guided balloon sinuplasty of the nasomaxillary opening described by Bell et al 25 was considered in this case to drain the sinuses. However, the degree of difficulty that we encountered in passing an endoscope in this horse precluded this technique.…”

Equine paranasal sinus disease: A long‐term study of 200 cases (1997–2009): Ancillary diagnostic findings and involvement of the various sinus compartments

“…Ventral conchal bulla fenestration also allowed sinoscopically guided treatment of RMS or VCS compartments and post operative lavage of all sinus compartments via a single (frontal) portal. The use of a 3 mm diameter endoscope to perform intra‐sinus endoscopy via the naso‐maxillary ostium (M Nowak 2009 personal communications) or the use of sinoplasty of the sino‐maxillary ostium as described in vitro by Bell et al . (2009) are less invasive techniques to examine and treat some sinusitis cases.…”

The sinonasal communication in the horse: examinations using computerized three-dimensional reformatted renderings of computed-tomography datasets

“…By re-establishing the natural pathways, there is no need for fenestration of the paranasal sinus at another area [25]. Moreover, in veterinary medicine balloon sinuplasty is described as a minimal-invasive treatment method for primary sinusitis [27]. After widening the caudal sinonasal channel, the flow-rate of fluids from the SMC into the middle nasal meatus was significantly higher than before, whereas dilatation of the rostral sinonasal channel was not possible.…”

“…This channel is ventrally limited by the thin dorsal part of the maxillary septum, which is the caudal, ‘bulla-like’ protrusion of the ventral conchal sinus ( Bulla septi sinuum maxillarium a ). Depression of this part was visible in every horse after dilatation [27]. The entrance into the rostral sinus system is much more complicated, due to angulation of the rostral sinonasal channel and the elasticity of the ventral limitation of this channel.…”

“…This lamella seemed to be fixed in position. Even if there is transnasal access to this part of the sinonasal channel system, which was rarely possible due to the 90° angulation [27], balloon sinuplasty of this part of the sinonasal channel system may be of limited value. If instruments are optimized for transnasal assessment of the rostral sinonasal channel, the insertion of drug eluting biodegradable stents as described in human medicine [26] could be a novel, minimal-invasive, successful technique.…”