Functional endoscopic sinus surgery in children and adults

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Pediatric Surgery
• Rhinology

Background:

• Chronic sinusitis is a common condition affecting both adults and children.
• Functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) is a widely adopted treatment for adult chronic sinusitis.
• The application of FESS in pediatric patients, termed Pediatric Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (PESS), has emerged more recently.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Pediatric Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (PESS) for treating chronic sinusitis in pediatric patients.
• To compare the outcomes of PESS in children with those of traditional FESS in adult patients.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective review of 1,112 patients treated for chronic sinusitis between April 1988 and March 1998.
• Patients were divided into two groups: Pediatric Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (PESS) for those 16 years or younger (n=104) and ordinary FESS for adults (n=1,008).
• Data analyzed included operative complications and postoperative improvement rates.

Main Results:

• A total of 121 PESS operations and 1,106 adult FESS operations were performed.
• Operative complications occurred in 4.1% of PESS procedures versus 10.5% of FESS procedures.
• The postoperative improvement rate was 84% for PESS compared to 77.1% for FESS.

Conclusions:

• Pediatric Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (PESS) is an effective treatment for chronic sinusitis in the pediatric population.
• PESS demonstrates a lower morbidity rate compared to traditional FESS in adults.
• The findings support the use of PESS for managing pediatric chronic sinusitis.