Prevention and management of synechia in pediatric endoscopic sinus surgery using dental wax plates

Synechia formation is a very common complication of endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS). Inspite of meticulous post-operative care, synechia do form in quite a large number of patients. Moreover, frequent post-operative cleaning may not be possible without general anesthesia in non-compliant patients, especially children. This study compares the incidence of synechia following pediatric ESS with or without spacer/tamponade in the operated cavity. The authors have found dental wax plates to be equally effective and more economical spacers compared to Merocel® tamponade, in prevention and management of synechia in the pediatric age group.