Effect of Endoscopic Sinus Surgery on Bronchiectasis Patients With Chronic Rhinosinusitis

Background The concept of unified airway disease has linked bronchiectasis with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), much in the same way as in asthma and CRS. Although the outcomes of endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) on comorbid asthma have been relatively well studied, the outcomes of ESS on comorbid bronchiectasis have rarely been examined. Objective We sought to determine sinonasal and pulmonary clinical outcomes of ESS in bronchiectasis patients with CRS. Method We reviewed all bronchiectasis patients who had ESS for CRS at our institution from 2006 to present. The sinonasal outcome test 22 (SNOT-22) was administered preoperatively and at 3 months, 1 year, and 3 years postoperatively. Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) were measured preoperatively and at 6 months and 1 year post operation to assess the forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced viral capacity (FVC), and FEV1/FVC values. Paired t test and Pearson correlation were used to compare pre- and postsurgical results. Results A total of 141 bronchiectasis patients who had ESS for CRS were studied. The most common cause of bronchiectasis was cystic fibrosis (CF) (42.55%). SNOT-22 scores improved at 3 months post operation and were maintained at 1 year and 3 years post operation ( P < .001). All SNOT sub-domains showed a significant improvement after surgery ( P < .01). However, PFTs did not change at 6 months post operation and 1 year post operation ( P > .05). There were significant differences in the outcomes in CF versus non-CF patients ( P < .05) but not by sex or age. Conclusion ESS is effective in improving long-term sinonasal outcomes in bronchiectasis patients with CRS. However, ESS does not appear to improve the pulmonary function.