The effect of endoscopic sinus surgery on mucociliary clearance in patients with chronic sinusitis.

The saccharin test was used to measure mucociliary clearance in 50 patients with symptoms of chronic sinusitis. Samples of the nasal mucosa were also examined under transmission electron microscopy before and after functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS). Before surgery, the mean saccharin clearance (ST) was 37.0 +/- 15.7 min, with nasal mucosa exhibiting ciliary loss as well as other ultrastructural changes. Three months after surgery, the mean ST had improved to 20.3 +/- 7.5 min and significant regeneration of cilia was observed. It was therefore concluded that FESS had successfully corrected mucociliary dysfunction in these patients.