Outcomes of Surgical Treatment of Chronic Rhinosinusitis

Abstract

Since the introduction of endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) for treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) over 25 years ago, there has been an effort to quantify the effectiveness of this intervention. Within the last few years, the field has matured to a point where study designs are able to accurately capture the impact of ESS relative to continued medical therapy on the CRS disease process and quality-of-life (QOL). These comparative effectiveness studies demonstrate superior effectiveness of ESS over medical therapy at mean reduction of disease burden as measured by comprehensive disease-specific QOL questionnaires. As outcomes from large comparative effectiveness studies accumulates, and a more complete understanding of the many variables that contribute to and influence CRS, the potential to build predictive models based on baseline characteristics might allow for forecasting of treatment successes and failures.