Functional endoscopic sinus surgery: morbidity and early results.

Functional endoscopic sinus surgery is a new alternative to conventional sinus surgery as a means of managing recalcitrant sinus disease. This approach to sinus pathology focuses on the importance of the functional ostiomeatal complex and anterior ethmoid sinuses in the pathogenesis of sinus disease. In an effort to assess the morbidity and initial results of this procedure, 85 cases were reviewed. A total of 82% of the patients had bilateral maxillary and ethmoid sinusitis, and 45% had pansinusitis, frequently associated with allergic rhinitis (56%) and nasal polyps (58%). A total of 82% of the patients were operated on as outpatients under local anesthesia. There were no major complications associated with the surgery and minor complications were rare. Disease control was achieved in 88% of patients with short-term follow-up.