rhinotomy

rhinotomy /rīnot″əmē/ [Gk, rhis + temnein, to cut] , a surgical procedure in which an incision is made along one side of the nose, performed to drain accumulated pus from an abscess or a sinus infection. Under local anesthesia the flap of skin and lining of the nose are turned back to provide a full view of the nasal passages for radical sinus surgery.