Intranasal sphenoethmoidectomy: 10-year experience and literature review

We believe that complete intranasal sphenoethmoidectomy is the procedure of choice for massive nasal polyposis and polypoid sinusitis. The anatomy is complex, visualization with conventional matters is limited, and the potential complications can be severe. Nevertheless, with thorough underlying knowledge of the anatomy and proper training consisting of cadaver dissection and supervised surgery, a safe, effective technique can be mastered. Two hundred and thirty sphenoethmoidectomies done in 87 patients over the past 10 years are reviewed. The initial recurrence rate was 25%. There was a 3% incidence of serious complications. These results are comparable to those in the literature. While recognizing the potential complications of this difficult procedure, we believe that it can be performed safely and effectively by properly trained surgeons and that an effort should be made to extend proper instruction to otolaryngology residents.