Rhinology

What are sinuses?

They are air-filled paired spaces in the bones of your face located below your eyes, between your eyes, in the forehead and at the back of your nose.
They can become infected causing nasal blockage, smelly thick discharge, loss of your sense of smell, facial pressure and swelling of your eyes.
They can become chronic where the symptoms persist longer than 12 weeks a year.

What causes sinus problems?

There are many factors that cause sinus problems. “Scraping” and “washing out” does not help the problem and can lead to an increase in crusting and blockage.

What treatments are available for sinus disease?

Treatment for your sinuses is with both medications and surgery.
Dr Ooi has been trained by international experts on various techniques of advanced endoscopic sinus surgery. He offers tertiary level assessment and management of all sinus disease. This includes acute and chronic sinusitis, fungal sinusitis, and benign and malignant tumours of the sinuses and skull base.

He has also been trained in performing advanced endoscopic drillout procedures for chronic frontal sinusitis that are refractory to standard surgical techniques.
Dr Ooi has a PhD in immune causes of chronic sinusitis and has numerous research papers on the causes and treatments of chronic sinusitis. He is also a faculty member of courses teaching ENT surgeons the techniques in advanced endoscopic sinus surgery.

What is computer assisted navigational surgery?

This technology is like the GPS in your car. It helps your surgeon navigate using your CT scans when operating in your sinuses. Dr Ooi uses it in selected endoscopic cases for sinus surgery, skull base surgery and removal of tumours.

Dr Ooi is also trained in Balloon Sinuplasty. For more information on this new technique, please click here.