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Meta-analysis of outcomes of pediatric functional endoscopic sinus surgery
1Division of Otolaryngology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, USA. RLHII@WORDNET.ATT.NET
Objective:
To create a consensus of outcomes of pediatric functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) and assess its effectiveness and safety.
Study Design:
A meta-analysis of the literature on outcomes of pediatric FESS.
Methods:
A meta-analysis of the literature was performed focusing on the number of patients per study, length of follow-up, prospective versus retrospective, and the separation or exclusion of patients with significant underlying systemic diseases (cystic fibrosis and immunodeficiencies). A rating scale based on the above criteria was used to select articles for inclusion.
Results:
Eight published articles (832 patients) plus unpublished data from the authors' institution (50 patients) were included. The "positive" outcome rates for published, unpublished, and combined data were 88.4%, 92%, and 88.7%, respectively. No statistically significant differences in "positive" outcome existed between all published or unpublished series using a chi-squared test (power = .51, P = .38). The average combined follow-up was 3.7 years, with a major complication rate of 0.6%.
Conclusion:
Pediatric FESS is a safe and effective treatment for chronic sinusitis that is refractory to medical therapy.