Caldwell Luc operation is another method of treating sinusitis and is a surgical method that is especially used for clearing a blocked or infected maxillary sinus and involves entering the sinus through the mouth by way of an incision into the canine fossa above a canine tooth, cleaning the sinus, and creating a new and enlarged opening for drainage through the nose. The maxillary sinus is entered through the upper jaw above one of the second molar teeth. A route is created to connect the maxillary sinus with the nose, thus improving drainage. The operation is named after American physician George Caldwell and French laryngologist Henry Luc and is most often performed when a malignancy is present in the sinus cavity.
The method involved in the Caldwell Luc surgery is the removal of diseased tissue from the sinus. However, it is found that even chronically diseased sinus tissue may return to normal with less aggressive surgical approaches, which are essentially designed to improve ventilation and to promote the normal drainage physiology of the sinuses. That is why, Caldwell Luc surgery involves greater potential morbidity than endoscopic sinus surgery. The recovery time is longer, post-operative pain is typically greater, and there are commonly more post-operative facial swelling, etc. There might also be some potential risks involved with this surgery which include scarring that can lead to recurrence of sinus disease, injury to the nerve responsible for sensation to the skin of the cheek, dental injury, facial pain, etc. However, there are also serious potential complications of endoscopic sinus surgery including injury to the eye, or spinal fluid leakage.
