Timing of Surgery and Outcomes in Chronic Rhinosinusitis: A Narrative Review and Meta-Analysis

Surgery is often indicated in the treatment of medically recalcitrant chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). There is conflicting evidence on the impact of timeliness of sinus surgery on the degree of perceived symptom improvement in CRS.

The goal of this study was to systematically evaluate the available literature on the relationship between patient wait times for endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) and postoperative changes in patient-reported outcome measures.

Ovid, MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library of Systematic Reviews between January 2000 and September 1, 2023, were searched. A total of 931 studies were independently screened by 2 reviewers. Two studies were included in the meta-analysis, while 4 others were included in a narrative review.

Two studies consisting of 1606 patients were included in the meta-analysis. A mean difference in 22-Item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22) of -0.3 (95% CI = -3.9 to 3.3, I² = 89%, P < .01 was observed between "long" and "short" groups, while a mean difference in SNOT-22 of -0.1 (95% CI = -2.5 to 2.3, I² = 80%, P = .03) was observed between "long" and "mid" groups. Patients who receive surgery earlier on their disease process (ie, earlier from the time of diagnosis to eventual surgery) appear to require less access to healthcare resources including prescription medications, thus suggesting better disease control.

There is conflicting evidence to conclude whether timing of ESS affects disease-specific measures in patients with CRS. Patients who receive surgery earlier appear to have lower demands on healthcare utilization including visits and prescription use. Our study suggests there is a need for increased access to surgical specialists who manage patients with CRS, and better understanding by primary care specialists in how to manage CRS when specialist access is not available.