Surgery for chronic hyperplastic rhinosinusitis.

Davison pointed out in 1953 that his purpose in treating sinusitis was to utilize the smallest amount of surgery that would produce permanent relief of symptoms. By 1963 he had become convinced that extensive disease required extensive surgery. Hyperplastic rhinosinusitis is treated by a variety of surgical techniques including polypectomy, turbinate cautery, submucous resection of the turbinates or nasal septum, anterior ethmoidectomy, and spheno-ethmoidectomy. Sixty-eight patients are presented who have undergone bilateral sphenoethmoidectomy between January, 1969, and January, 1974. These patients were predominantly allergic, with a high percentage of previous polypectomies and desensitization which failed to control their recurring nasal polyps. Ten patients were lost to follow-up. Forty-seven of 68 patients have had no recurrence of polyps in from 12 to 60 months. All patients continued to have mucosal manifestations of allergy or infection, but the recurrence of late polyps was limited to 11 patients. The spheno-ethmoidectomy technique is utilized, stressing complete removal of the middle turbinate. Kidder has shown an improved rate of polyp control in patients following ethmoidectomy with middle turbinate removal rather than with partial or total preservation of the middle turbinate. Complete resection of the middle turbinate with opening of the sphenoid air sinus permits a thorough exenteration of the ethmoid labyrinth and better control of chronic disease. A complication rate of 5.9 percent is presented and is deemed acceptable, since there no disabling complications or complications related to poor visualization.