Surgery of the nose and paranasal sinuses

Functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) has emerged as the technique of choice in the treatment of benign diseases of the nose and paranasal sinuses. With emphasis on the functional aspect of this modality, patients have been treated with much less radical procedures when compared with traditional intranasal nonendoscopic and external techniques. This review outlines the indications and the relative contraindications to FESS, emphasizes the importance of preoperative nasal endoscopy and radiographic imaging, and discusses specific operative techniques. Postoperative care, surgical results, complications, and additional applications of endoscopic sinus surgery are also enumerated.