Objective outcome after functional endoscopic sinus surgery: prediction factors

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: After failure of medical treatment, chronic rhinosinusitis and nasal polyposis require surgical management. However, little is known about the predictive factors for objective outcome after sinus surgery. The aims of the study were to correlate preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative clinical factors to healing outcome and to establish their respective predictive values. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective study. METHODS: Eighteen patients who had surgery for chronic rhinosinusitis and 18 who had surgery for nasal polyposis at the Ghent University Hospital (Ghent, Belgium) were followed for a 6-month period. In all, 76 operated sides were independently considered. The healing quality was evaluated by endoscopy weekly and then monthly for a period of 6 months. A logistic regression analysis with healing quality at month 6 as outcome was performed on preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative factors. RESULTS: Previous sinus surgery (P =.0006) and initial disease (P =.0430) were found to be highly predictive for the healing outcome at month 6, patients with nasal polyposis or previous surgery showing significantly worse objective outcome (P =.0034 and P <.0001, respectively). The preoperative computed tomography scan had no predictive value with respect to the extent of surgery (P =.0281). Postoperative parameters had less predictive value. CONCLUSION: Initial disease and its severity as reflected by the extent of surgery and surgical antecedents were the best predictors for the objective outcome at 6 months after sinus surgery. Whereas the first postoperative phase showed similar characteristics for all patients, the healing course differed between patients from month 1 to the end point.