Fitostimoline? in fibro-endoscopic and trans-nasal trans-speculum septoplasty as a beneficial tool to improve post-surgical outcome: Preliminary results of a case-control study

Objectives: Topic treatment can be useful to improve short and long-term nasal outcomes after nasal surgery, reducing discomfort and risk of synechia. This study aimed at evaluating the effect on clinical outcomes of nasal packaging using Fitostimoline (R) gauze in FESS and septoplasty. Methods: A case-control study on hospitalized patients was performed in a tertiary referral center. The control group included 20 patients treated with the standard surgical protocol for septoplasty and standard nasal packaging; treatment group included 21 patients underwent same surgical procedure but in whom the nasal tampon was wrapped with a gauze containing Fitostimoline (R) before being placed into the nose. Results: Patients in treatment group had better outcomes than control; nasal mucosa showed better healing recovery of normal color- in those patients in whom we applied the Fitostimoline (R) gauze around tampons. Moreover, 100 % patients in the treatment group did not refer discomfort during at tampon removal versus 60 % subjects in the control group who referred pain, tension or tearing during the same action. Conclusion: Our results, although preliminary because of the small cohort of subjects included, suggest that the apposition of a gauze with Fitostimoline (R) after nasal surgery might improve the mucosal healing with consequent reduction of patients discomfort during the post-surgical period.