Efficiency of Different Approaches in Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery for Chronic Rhinosinusitis: A Comparative...

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Surgical Innovation
• Medical Device Technology

Background:

• Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) significantly impacts patient quality of life.
• Current surgical options for CRS include traditional Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS), balloon sinuplasty, and powered instrumentation.
• Comparative efficacy and safety data for these techniques are crucial for clinical decision-making.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prospectively compare the effectiveness and safety of balloon sinuplasty, conventional FESS, and powered instrumentation in treating CRS.
• To evaluate symptom alleviation and quality of life changes post-surgery.
• To assess the incidence of postoperative complications across the different surgical methods.

Main Methods:

• A prospective comparative analysis of 150 CRS patients undergoing FESS.
• Patients were divided into three groups: conventional FESS (n=50), balloon sinuplasty (n=50), and powered instrumentation (n=50).
• Outcomes measured included symptom severity (SNOT-22) and quality of life (SF-36) preoperatively and at six months postoperatively.

Main Results:

• Balloon sinuplasty demonstrated superior symptom alleviation, with a 62.1% reduction in SNOT-22 scores, significantly greater than FESS (49.1%) and powered instrumentation (45.8%) (P < 0.001).
• The balloon sinuplasty group experienced fewer postoperative complications, including bleeding, infection, and synechia.
• Quality of life, assessed by SF-36, also showed greater improvement in the balloon sinuplasty group.

Conclusions:

• Balloon sinuplasty is a more effective treatment for CRS than conventional FESS and powered instrumentation, with a better safety profile.
• Balloon sinuplasty may represent a preferred surgical strategy for CRS management.
• Further large-scale studies with extended follow-up are needed to confirm these findings and establish optimal surgical approaches for CRS.