Clinical analysis of submucosal Medpor (R) implantation for empty nose syndrome

Background: Empty nose syndrome (ENS) describes symptomatology and radiographic findings after surgeries on turbinates. The treatment of ENS is still debatable. Purpose: To analyse clinical outcomes of submucosal Medpor implantation for ENS. Methods: A total of 18 patients underwent submucosal Medpor implantation from 2006 to 2011. We applied SNOT-22 (SinoNasal Outcome Test) for statistical survey of the patients' symptoms before and after surgery. Results: Two patients were lost to follow up after the surgery. Most of the patients developed ENS-related symptoms gradually within 2 years to 16 years after the previous nasal surgery or treatment. The sites of submucosal implantation are mainly septum and nasal floor, unilaterally or bilaterally. There is a significant improvement of SNOT-22 pre-operatively to one year post-operatively. Conclusions:The symptomatolgy remains the most important point when dealing with patients with ENS. Submucosal implantation of Medpor is a feasible surgical treatment to ENS. A positive cotton test is suggested for the surgical indication and planning.