stents.
Dr. Hopp says that the steroid-impregnated implants help stop the
formation of polyps and reduce inflammation after FESS. Dr. Scher
says after enlarging the ethmoid sinus opening during surgery, he
places the dissolvable steroid-eluting stent into the sinus passageway.
The stent is made of a net-like material that is built like a spring, so it
props open the passageway while releasing mometasone furoate, a
corticoid steroid. The stent can last for more than 30 days before it
dissolves. So far, Dr. Scher says he's happy with its outcomes. "The
slow release of anti-inflammatory medication produces very impres-
sive results," he says.
The stents could help prevent recurrences of polyp formation and
reduce inflammation in serious cases of sinusitis and may offer a bet-
ter solution than manual irrigation, surgeons say. Still, they add an
additional cost to each case —about $700 per implant, which is not
covered by many insurers — and can currently be used only in the
ethmoid sinuses. There's also limited clinical research showing their
advantages, says Dr. Lane. "It has some benefit of improved healing
and reducing the swelling, but after it's dissolved then you must tran-
sition from that to something like saline rinses," says Dr. Lane.
The hope, the doctors say, is that these drug-eluting stents are just
the first wave of treatments. Currently there is only 1 manufacturer
selling the implants, but others with more diverse approaches are on
the way, says Dr. Lane. "I do think there's going to be a continued evo-
lution of implants," he says. "Right now, there's only steroids, but in
the future it might be different shapes, or they might be available for
different sinuses, or offer other drugs."
B u y i n g i nto th e i d ea
While sinusitis treatment and surgery is thought to typically have a
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