Injectable Chitosan Hydrogel Particles as Nasal Packing Materials After Endoscopic Sinus Surgery for Treatment of Chronic Sinusitis
Yusuke Yamashita,
Kei Hosoya,
Yukio Fujiwara,
Yoichi Saito,
Masahiro Yoshida,
Shoji Matsune,
Kimihiro Okubo,
Takayuki Takei
Affiliations
Yusuke Yamashita
Department of Chemical Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Kagoshima University, 1-21-40 Korimoto, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan
Kei Hosoya
Nose and Smell Clinic Ikebukuro, Tokyo 171-0022, Japan
Yukio Fujiwara
Department of Cell Pathology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, 1-1-1 Honjo, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan
Yoichi Saito
Laboratory of Bioengineering, Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, Kumamoto University, 2-39-1 Kurokami, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto 860-8555, Japan
Masahiro Yoshida
Department of Chemical Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Kagoshima University, 1-21-40 Korimoto, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan
Shoji Matsune
Department of Otolaryngology, Musashi Kosugi Hospital, Nippon Medical School, Kanagawa 211-8533, Japan
Kimihiro Okubo
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo 113-8602, Japan
Takayuki Takei
Department of Chemical Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Kagoshima University, 1-21-40 Korimoto, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan
After endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS), nasal packing is often used to stop bleeding and promote wound healing. Because maintaining a moist environment is important to enhance wound healing, hydrogel-based wound dressings are effective to promote wound healing. Chitosan is used in the medical field because of its high hemostatic and wound healing properties. We developed a pH-neutral and non-toxic chitosan hydrogel, which was difficult to achieve using conventional methods. In this study, we show in animal experiments that the chitosan hydrogel (hydrogel particles) had higher wound healing properties than a commercially available solid wound dressing (dry state) composed of the same polymer. Additionally, we applied the injectable chitosan hydrogel particles as nasal packing materials to patients with bilateral chronic sinusitis undergoing ESS in a pilot clinical study. Concerning symptom scores, though the results narrowly missed statistical differences (p p = 0.09 for nasal bleeding). These findings suggest that the injectable chitosan hydrogel could be a viable option as a packing material following ESS.
