Differential effects of packing materials on olfactory preservation in endoscopic endonasal approach to sellar tumors
YUAN Yunchao
LUO Yaowen
ZHOU Yuefei
WU Xiuquan
ZHANG Jimeng
XIE Changcai
GAO Dakuan
Abstract：Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy of olfactory preservation techniques during endoscopic endonasal surgery for sellar region tumors and their impacts on postoperative olfactory function recovery.Methods A retrospective analysis of the clinical data was done of 93 patients with sellar region tumors who underwent endoscopic endonasal surgery at the Department of Neurosurgery,First Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University from July 2023 to June 2024.Olfactory function was assessed using the visual analogue scale(VAS),modified sinonasal CT olfactory region scoring system,and endoscopic Lund-Kennedy scoring method.Comparisons were made between baseline measurements and those at 14 d,1 month,3 months,and 6 months postoperatively,with an analysis of the differential effects of various packing materials on olfactory preservations.Results Compared with preoperative baseline levels,VAS scores,modified sinus computed tomography(CT)olfactory scores,and nasal endoscopic Lund-Kennedy scores significantly increased at 14 days to 1 month postoperatively(P<0.001),showing a marked decline in olfactory function.At 3 and 6 months post-surgery,all olfactory function metrics showed statistically significant differences compared to those at 14 days or 1 month(P<0.001),demonstrating a progressive recovery trend.During follow-up,patients treated with absorbable gelatin sponge packing exhibited significantly better olfactory recovery than the non-packing group(P<0.001).In contrast,no statistically significant difference was observed between the absorbable fluid gelatin group and the non-packing group(P>0.05).Conclusion Patients undergoing endoscopic endonasal surgery for sellar region tumors experience significant olfactory impairment in the early postoperative period(within 14 d),followed by gradual recovery.Intraoperative application of absorbable solid packing materials with superior supporting effects facilitates improved postoperative olfactory functions,providing clinical evidence for developing effective olfactory preservation strategies in endoscopic endonasal surgery.
Keywords：pituitary region tumorendoscopic endonasal surgeryolfactory dysfunctionolfactory region preservation
Publication Date：2025-10-28
Online Publishing Date：2025-10-09(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：6( 70-75 )