[Application of frontal drill in revision endoscopic frontal sinus surgery].

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the application of frontal drill in revision endoscopic frontal sinus surgery. METHOD: The clinical data of 11 adult patients (18 sides) suffering from chronic recurrent frontal sinusitis were analyzed retrospectively. The patients received revision endoscopic frontal sinus surgery with frontal drill because of difficulty in confirming ostia under endoscope. Postoperatively all cases were followed up to evaluate the efficacy. RESULT: The ostia of frontal sinus were successfully opened with this method in all cases, and no serious complications occurred except hemorrhage due to injury of anterior ethmoidal artery in 1 case. After 7 to 35 months follow-up postoperatively, the symptoms vanished in all cases and none recurred. The endoscopic examinations showed well-opening of frontal sinus ostia. CONCLUSION: Localization of frontal ostium with frontal drill is a simple, convenient, safe and effective accessorial method for revision endoscopic frontal sinus surgery.