Use of image guidance in endoscopic endonasal surgeries: a 5-year experience

Endoscopic endonasal surgery (EES) is standard practice in sinonasal disease and is becoming more accepted in the performance of anterior skull base resections. We report our experience with image-guided surgery (IGS) in difficult cases of paranasal sinus (PNS) and skull base pathologies and discuss advantages and disadvantages of this technique.

A retrospective chart review was performed for the period 2004-2009. Degree of PNS involvement, indication for IGS, incidence of major complications, need for revision surgery, and technical data regarding the system were gathered.

Sixty-two of 86 patients were followed for at least one year and therefore included in the analysis. Indications for IGS were mostly revision surgery for polyposis (42%), chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) of frontal and/or sphenoid sinuses (14.5%), skull base tumours (30.6%), and foreign body removal (4.8%). Revision rates after IGS in polyposis, CRS, and benign skull base tumours were 7.7%, 11.11%, and 7.1%, respectively.

IGS is of particular benefit in the management of sinonasal polyposis, benign skull base tumours, palliative surgery, and foreign body removal. IGS may avoid trauma to the orbit and anterior skull base and reduces the rate of revision surgeries rendering more meticulous and complete operations possible. We also think it could be helpful for foreign body removal.