A surgical procedure involving an incision above the teeth to enter the sinus is called:

PGICH Noida NO-2025

Medical Surgical Nursing

Easy

Appeared in: PGICH Noida NO-2025

Explanation

The Caldwell-Luc operation is a specific surgical technique used to gain access to the maxillary sinus.
The procedure is defined by its approach, which involves an incision made in the gingivobuccal sulcus, the fold of tissue above the upper teeth (premolars and molars).
This incision allows the surgeon to create a window into the anterior wall of the maxillary sinus.
It is typically performed for conditions like chronic sinusitis, removal of foreign bodies, cysts, or tumors within the maxillary sinus.

Option B: The term 'sensing' in a medical context does not refer to a surgical procedure but to a function. Specifically, it describes how an artificial pacemaker detects the heart's intrinsic electrical rhythm.
Option C: The Mustard operation is a major cardiac surgery, not a sinus procedure. It is an atrial baffle procedure used to correct d-transposition of the great arteries, a congenital heart defect.
Option D: The Rastelli operation is another complex open-heart surgery for congenital heart defects, completely unrelated to the sinuses. It is used to correct conditions like transposition of the great arteries with a ventricular septal defect.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Surgical Procedures of the Head and Neck as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Post-operative nursing care for a Caldwell-Luc procedure is critical and includes monitoring for facial swelling, pain, epistaxis (nosebleed), and numbness in the cheek, upper lip, or teeth due to potential injury to the infraorbital nerve.
Patient education should emphasize avoiding forceful nose-blowing, sneezing with the mouth open, and using saline nasal sprays to keep the nasal passages moist and clear.
While once common, the Caldwell-Luc operation has been largely replaced by less invasive Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS). Nurses should understand that a patient undergoing a Caldwell-Luc procedure today likely has a more complex condition, such as a tumor or extensive fungal sinusitis, that could not be managed endoscopically.

How to Approach the Question

First, break down the question stem to identify the key anatomical landmarks and action: 1) a surgical procedure, 2) an incision site 'above the teeth', and 3) the target 'sinus'.
Evaluate each option based on these keywords.
The 'Caldwell-Luc operation' is a named procedure in ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat) surgery. Recall or deduce that its purpose is related to the sinuses.
Analyze the other options. 'Sensing operation' does not sound like a standard surgical name; it describes a function, likely related to an electronic device like a pacemaker.
'Mustard operation' and 'Rastelli operation' are well-known eponyms in cardiac surgery for congenital heart defects. They are unrelated to the head, neck, or sinuses.
By elimination, and by matching the anatomical description to the known purpose of the procedure, conclude that the Caldwell-Luc operation is the correct answer.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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E6 Nursing Brunner Adult Health 3SA Vol 2 Part 1 p. 34-36