Long‐term Results of Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery

TLDR

Short‑term outcomes of functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) are well documented, but long‑term effects on chronic sinusitis remain largely unreported. The study followed 72 of the original 120 patients for an average of 7.8 years, assessing subjective symptoms, endoscopic findings, and preoperative factors such as stage and prior surgery. At an average of 7.8 years post‑surgery, 98.4 % of respondents reported symptom improvement, with a non‑significant trend toward further gains; 18 % required additional surgery, yet overall subjective outcomes remained excellent and patients with normalized cavities were unlikely to need further procedures.

Abstract

Abstract Although much has been reported on the short‐term outcomes of functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS), little has been reported with regard to its long‐term impact on chronic sinusitis. The senior author (D.W.K.) previously reported detailed subjective and endoscopic follow‐up on 120 patients at a mean of 18 months following surgery. This current study represents a long‐term follow‐up (average, 7.8 years) of 72 patients (60%) from the same cohort. Of patients responding to a question about overall symptoms, 98.4% (n = 66) reported improvement compared with before surgery. There was a trend toward continued subjective improvement in symptom scores with longer follow‐up, but the changes did not reach statistical significance. Thirteen patients (18%) required subsequent surgical procedures. Preoperative stage, prior surgery, and other factors that might affect outcome were evaluated. The study demonstrates that excellent subjective results following FESS can be maintained in the long term with appropriate postoperative management. The study also validates the concept that patients in whom the cavity can be normalized following surgery are unlikely to require further surgery