Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe the changes of resonance characteristics of the nasal cavity (including nasal sinuses) and nasal airway resistance (NAR) after endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS), through objective measurement of nasality and NAR before and after ESS.
Method: Sixty- eight patients received the examinations of nasality and NAR using Nanometer and Atmos Rhinomanometry before and after ESS separately.
Result: The nasality of patients with type III and type II stage 2, stage 3 chronic sinusitis was obviously improved ( P <0. 05), but still below the normal range 1 month after ESS. The nasality didn't recover to the normal level 3 months postoperatively. However the total NAR apparently decreased 1 months after ESS ( P <0. 01) and returned to normal 3 months postoperatively. Nasality and the total NAR of patients in type II stage 1 turned to normal 1 month after ESS. There are no distinctive changes in nasality and total NAR of type I stage 1 patients.
Conclusion: The total NAR significantly decreased close to normal among the patients with severe sinus or/and nasal lesions after ESS, however nasality continued aberrant for a relatively long period. It is suggested that nasality can't be ameliorated immediately after ESS. On the contrary, it is possible to bring some undesirable effects to the professional voice users, such as announces, for the changed resonance characteristics of the nasal cavity due to the excessive destruction of its normal structure.