The objective of this study is to evaluate what types of needles are optimal and efficient for infiltrating the sphenopalatine area during endoscopic sinus surgery. Prospective, randomized, open-labeled study was designed. Sixty-three sides of nasal cavities of 45 patients were randomly assigned to three groups with different needle shapes. The group 1 needles had a straight shaft, the group 2 had an obtuse curved shaft, and the group 3 had an arch-shape shaft. The infiltration time for group 1 was longer than that for group 2 and group 3. There was significant difference in the secondary infiltration time between group 1 and group 3 (p = 0.005). We devised new curved-shaft needles that can utilize the 'lever effect' and showed that they are more efficient than straight shaft needles for infiltrating the sphenopalatine area.
Keywords: Bleeding; Endoscopic sinus surgery; Needle; Sphenopalatine foramen.