Yamik Sinus Catheter in the Topical Treatment of Patients with Acute Rhinosinusitis after Previous Sinus Surgery

Abstract

The Yamik sinus catheter was designed as a new device for the topical treatment of rhinosinusitis. It creates intermittent positive and negative intranasal pressure after sealing the ipsilateral nostril and choana with two inflatable cuffs. Affecting the nasal cavity and all paranasal sinuses of one side at a time, it is used to evacuate mucous and secretions as well as and to introduce antiseptic, antibacterial, or antifungal solutions. This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Yamik catheter in cases of acute purulent rhinosinusitis in patients who previously underwent endonasal sinus surgery for chronic rhinosinusitis. Twenty patients were treated at repeated visits to the outpatient clinic of our institution. At each visit, their clinical symptoms as well as findings on anterior rhinoscopy, nasal endoscopy, and A-mode ultrasound were evaluated. Acute disease resolved completely within 10 days of treatment in 17 of the 20 patients. Two patients discontinued treatment after repeated visits, showing only mild improvement. One patient felt uncomfortable during the application of the Yamik catheter and did not continue after the initial treatment. Our results suggest that the Yamik catheter may be a helpful device in the topical treatment of acute rhinosinusitis and it appears possibly helpful in patients who suffer from episodes of acute purulent infection after previous sinus surgery.