The why, what, and how of endoscopic sinus surgery

This article offers a basic overview of the anatomy of the nose. Acute and chronic sinusitis, the signs and symptoms that accompany this disease process, and methods of treatment for sinusitis are discussed in length. The various types of surgical methods are described, and comparisons are made between antral irrigation, the Caldwell-Luc approach, and endoscopic sinus surgery. The process of endoscopic sinus surgery is then reviewed in the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative stages. Advances in the area of endoscopic sinus surgery are then briefly mentioned.