A new structural intranasal splint made from CarboxyMethyl Cellulose (CMC) reduces bleeding and prevents adhesions following sinus surgery.

The NasaStent dressing has an open-cell structure and can be easily customized by trimming it to fit the size needs of each patient, with tapered edges for ease of placement into the nasal cavity. Once in place, the soft dressing quickly regains its shape as it conforms to the patient's anatomy, providing sufficient pressure to minimize bleeding and hold the surrounding soft tissues in place as they heal. The dressing’s compressive strength provides a significantly high tissue separation force over a variety of simulated nasal cavity gaps ranging from 7 to 10 mm.

The NasaStent dressing is capable of absorbing up to 16 times its dry weight in fluid, and does not require any special storage conditions for placement. Unlike structural dressings which break down into fragments that must be later removed by a physician, the CMC used in the NasaStent dressing converts into a hydrocolloidal gel after absorbing nasal fluid, and simply drains out as part of the natural outflow. The NasaStent dressing is a product of Smith & Nephew (London, United Kingdom) and has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“Smith & Nephew is committed to innovation that improves both the patient and the physician experience, and is proud to offer pioneering technologies such as NasaStent within our leading specialist ENT surgical portfolio,” said Mira Sahney, general manager for ENT and Gynecology at Smith & Nephew.

CMC is a cellulose derivative that is has high viscosity, is nontoxic, and is generally considered to be hypoallergenic. It is used primarily in food as a thickener and to stabilize emulsions in various products, including ice cream. It is also a constituent of many non-food products, such as diet pills, toothpaste, laxatives, water-based paints, detergents, and various paper products. Knitted fabric made into CMC can be used in various medical applications, for example in treating epitaxis (nose bleeding).

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