No Surgery or Nose Surgery?

CRS with Nasal Polyps - Setting the new gold standard

For decades, surgery of the nose and paranasal sinuses has been the gold standard for treating patients with Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyps (CRSwNP) that are uncontrolled by medical therapy. However, surgery isn't a Panacea. In severe patients, symptoms may return and the disease becomes uncontrolled even with appropriate medical therapy, including surgery. However, we have now reached a stage where new drugs can offer a paradigm shift in the treatment of CRS with Nasal Polyps where surgery is no longer considered the gold standard. No surgery…. or no surgery? That is the question.

This is the EUFOREA Innovation forum debate on CRS with Nasal Polyps - setting the new gold standard Chronic Rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps or CRS with NP is a chronic inflammatory condition of the nose and the paranasal sinuses which causes a significant impact on the lives of those patients affected. It’s estimated to affect about one to four per cent of the general population and about 25 to 30 per cent of patients with chronic Rhinosinusitis. There is an underlying inflammatory process at work which is called type 2 inflammation. This means that CRS with NP often presents with comorbidities including asthma and allergies. Patients suffering from CRS with NP experience symptoms of nasal obstruction, smell dysfunction with anosmia, continuous nasal discharge and facial pain.

All of these have a massive impact on the patient's quality of life and living with this condition can also profoundly affect people's mental health. Psychological symptoms including depression are common. Additionally, with so many people affected by the disease, there is also a significant economic impact including the cost of providing recurrent Health Care, absenteeism from work and loss of work productivity. Therefore it is vital that we continually improve the care that we can offer to patients with CRS with NP and in turn improve their quality of life.