Background: Nasal packing usually is placed after endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) to control hemorrhage, but also may be used to prevent adhesions from forming and promote faster healing of damaged mucosa.
Methods: A literature review was performed to identify all forms of scientifically evaluated absorbable packing for ESS. Only English studies identifiable within the PubMed database were included. Studies were categorized by level of evidence and evaluated for methodological errors.
Results: Thirty-eight studies met the inclusion criteria. There was a diverse range of article evidence and quality.
Conclusion: The most effective hemostatic agent currently available is FloSeal; however, this product causes an increase in adhesion formation. For the purpose of preventing adhesions, resorbable packs appear to have no benefit over either nonresorbables or no packing. If the middle turbinate is unstable at the conclusion of surgery, suturing it to the septum may reduce adhesions. Although mitomycin C, hyaluronic acid, and retinoic acid all have shown potential in these roles, to date, none have shown to be useful in the post-ESS chronic sinusitis human patient.