Everything you need to Know about Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS)

Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS): An Overview

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to breathe freely in the open air again without any congestion or discomfort caused by sinus problems? If yes, then you are not alone millions of people are affected with chronic sinusitis across the globe.

The sinus is nothing but small air-filled pockets/spaces in the skull located behind the forehead, nasal bones, cheeks, and eyes. At the same time, sinusitis is a common condition in which there is inflammation or swelling of the inner linings of these pockets/spaces. Normally, they are packed with air, but in case of allergies and bacterial/viral infections can irritate them, letting them to get blocked and filled with fluid.

Types of Sinuses

• Subacute Sinusitis: It is a condition when the symptoms and swellings are present from 1 to 3 months. It is caused by viruses or bacteria growing in the sinuses.
• Acute Sinusitis: It is said to occur when symptoms are there for four weeks or less. It is also generated by bacteria or viruses growing in the sinuses.
• Chronic Sinusitis: It is a situation when the symptoms and swelling are present for more than four months. It is generally caused by bacteria or fungi.
• Recurrent Sinusitis: This type experiences four or more episodes of acute sinusitis every year, with each episode lasting at least ten days and without persistent symptoms in between individual episodes.

Symptoms:

Symptoms of sinusitis generally include:

• Bad breath
• Cough, usually worse at night
• Fatigue and feeling of being ill
• Fever
• Headache
• Pressure like pain
• Nasal stiffness and discharge
• Postnasal drip
• Loss of smell

Treatment of Sinusitis:

SELF-CARE

Try the following steps to reduce stuffiness in your sinuses:

• Several times a day, try to use a warm, moist washcloth on your face.
• Drink a considerable amount of liquids to thin the mucus.
• Breath in steam 2 to 4 times per day (for example, while sitting in the bathroom with the shower running).
• On multiple occasions a day, spray with nasal saline.
• Use a humidifier.
• To clear the sinuses, use a saline squeeze bottle or Neti pot.

MEDICINE OR OTHER TREATMENTS

Most of the time, antibiotics are not necessary in acute case of sinusitis. Most of these infections disappear on their own. Even if antibiotics do help, they slightly reduce the time it takes for the infection to disappear only. Antibiotics are most likely to be prescribed on an early basis for:

• Children with nasal discharge, even after 2 to 3 weeks, possibly with a cough, that is not getting better
• Fever above 102.2°F (39°C)
• Pain in the face or headache
• Severe swelling in the area around the eyes

Acute cases of sinusitis should be treated for 5-10 days, and chronic cases of sinusitis should be treated for 3-4 weeks. Other ways of treatment for sinusitis include:

• Allergy diagnostics (immunotherapy) to help prevent the disease from returning
• Try to avoid allergy triggers
• To minimize swelling, antihistamines and nasal corticosteroid sprays, especially if there are nasal polyps or allergies
• Oral corticosteroids

Previously, the only treatment known for this problem was surgery. Fortunately, there is a minimally invasive surgical process known as Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS) available nowadays.

What is FESS?

FESS is a type of minimally invasive surgery especially designed for severe sinus conditions. Nasal endoscopes, a kind of small tube with lights and a camera attached, are used by expert surgeons. The surgeons carefully remove any blockages present in cavities of sinuses that are causing congestion and difficulty in breathing. Without making incisions in or around your nose, it is able to diminish your sinus symptoms. Medical practitioners only advise it if you have a persistent case of sinus infection that doesn’t get better even after taking medications, such as antibiotics and medications to manage allergies.

Why the Market Demand is Growing?

The market for FESS has been growing in recent days due to the increased prevalence of sinusitis. The cases of sinusitis are continuously increasing nowadays due to various environmental factors such as increased air pollution, lack of quality oxygen to breathe, reduced immunity, changes in lifestyle, etc., including genetic factors such as hypersensitivity or allergy. Hence, there is demand for a treatment that gives better results with minimum damage and a decent success rate.

Market Size and Growth

The functional endoscopic sinus surgery market size was valued at USD 1,189.67 million in 2023. The market is projected to grow from USD 1,280.56 million in 2024 to USD 2,338.81 million by 2032, exhibiting a CAGR of 7.8% during the forecast period. The market for FESS is continuously increasing because of various factors such as:

• Increased Awareness: People are becoming more and more aware of medical terms and procedures and opting for surgeries such as FESS, which are minimally invasive. Also, it doesn’t require a big incision or cut around the area where surgery is to take place.
• Medico-Technological Advancements: In earlier days a proper surgical procedure was required in order to treat the problem of sinusitis. But in recent times, after the invention of endoscopes, a brief surgery is no longer a requirement. Also, these advancements yield better results in surgical procedures with minimal invasion of the body.
• Reimbursement Policies /Health Insurance Claims: Various health insurance companies and governments of numerous countries are including surgical procedures such as FESS in the insurance and or reimbursement policies. This results in more and more people opting for surgery rather than just postponing it or living with the burden of it.

Key Players in the FESS Market:

Several leading medical device companies are the key players in the FESS market due to their huge impact on the FESS market as they are investing hugely in the research and development of products and services related to FESS. Following are some of the top key players in the FESS market:

• Johnson & Johnson: Founded in 1886 in the USA, it is a producer of medical devices and pharmaceuticals and the owner of many well-known consumer brands.
• Medtronic plc: Founded in 1949 in Minnesota, USA, Medtronic plc is a global leader in medical technology, services, and solutions.
• Olympus Corporation: Olympus manufactures endoscopic, ultrasound, electrocautery, therapy, and cleaning and disinfection equipment. The first flexible endoscope in the world was manufactured and co-developed by Olympus in Tokyo, where it was founded in 1919.
• ConMed Corporation: It was founded in 1970 in Florida, USA. It manufactures and commercializes surgical devices and instruments for minimally invasive procedures and monitoring.

Future Outlook and Conclusion:

The future of the FESS market looks promising as the prevalence of sinusitis is continuously increasing, and hence, there is a need for promising treatment. Due to this reason, there is a high chance that the market of FESS tends to meet its objective as predicted by various market research reports.

In conclusion, the market of FESS is seeing continuous growth due to various factors such as an increase in the prevalence of sinusitis, Medico-technological advancements, desired or beneficial reimbursement and insurance policies for FESS, etc., as the demand for promising treatment continues to stay on the rise.