IMPLEMENTATION OF TELEMEDICINE IN THE DIAGNOSIS AND MANAGEMENT OF MAXILLARY SINUS CYSTS
Abstract
Background: Telemedicine has become a durable adjunct in rhinology, otorhinolaryngology, and oral-maxillofacial care, yet its practical role in patients with maxillary sinus cysts remains insufficiently standardized. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a hybrid telemedicine pathway for the diagnosis, treatment planning, and follow-up of patients with maxillary sinus cysts. Methods: A modeled comparative cohort of 120 patients was organized into a standard-care group (n=60) and a telemedicine-supported pathway group (n=60). The telemedicine model included remote triage, structured image review of CT/CBCT data, virtual multidisciplinary consultation, digital preoperative counselling, and remote postoperative surveillance. Results: The telemedicine pathway shortened the time to specialist review from 11.8 ± 3.6 to 4.9 ± 1.8 days and reduced the time to final treatment decision from 16.2 ± 4.9 to 8.1 ± 2.7 days. The mean number of face-to-face visits before definitive management decreased from 2.3 ± 0.7 to 1.2 ± 0.5. Patient satisfaction increased from 78.6 ± 8.9 to 91.8 ± 5.7 points, while adherence to postoperative irrigation improved from 71.7% to 91.7%. Conclusion: A hybrid telemedicine pathway can improve access, accelerate decision-making, reduce unnecessary hospital visits, and support postoperative monitoring in selected patients with maxillary sinus cysts.