Surgery outperforms antibiotics for Chronic Sinusitis, Major UK Trial Finds
A large-scale clinical trial conducted across the UK has revealed that surgery is significantly more effective than long-term antibiotic use in treating chronic sinusitis. The study, involving over 500 patients, demonstrated lasting improvements in quality of life following surgery, while antibiotics showed no benefit beyond a placebo.
Chronic rhinosinusitis, affecting approximately one in ten adults in the UK, is a persistent condition characterized by symptoms like nasal congestion, excessive mucus, loss of smell, facial pain, fatigue, and worsened respiratory issues like asthma. Ofen mimicking a severe cold, the condition can endure for months or even years.
Researchers from University College London (UCL), the University of East Anglia, and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust conducted a randomized, controlled clinical trial. Participants, all of whom had already received standard treatment wiht nasal steroids and saline washes, were divided into groups receiving either sinus surgery, a three-month course of low-dose antibiotics, or a placebo.
The results, published August 30th in The Lancet, clearly favored surgery. 87% of patients who underwent the surgical procedure reported an improved quality of life six months post-operation.
In contrast, the antibiotic treatment proved ineffective. No statistically significant difference was observed between patients receiving antibiotics and those receiving the placebo.
“We found that surgery was effective in reducing symptoms even after six months, while antibiotic administration had a low impact,” stated Professor Carl Philpott from Norwich Medical School. “Until now, there was no robust clinical trial evidence demonstrating that sinus surgery is more effective than drug treatment.”
These findings have the potential to reshape global treatment approaches for chronic rhinosinusitis. The research team anticipates that this evidence will lead to faster access to appropriate treatment, streamlined clinical pathways, and reduced healthcare costs by minimizing unnecessary consultations and antibiotic prescriptions.
Long-term monitoring of patients is ongoing to assess the durability of the benefits observed after surgery.
