Impact of functional endoscopic sinus surgery on patients with chronic rhinosinusitis: A prospective, cohort study among indian patients

Abstract

Aim: To study subjective and objective outcomes following functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Materials and methods: We prospectively followed up 140 CRS patients after FESS for 6 months to 2 years. Demographic data was collected. Using the Lund–Kennedy endoscopic score (LKES) and the sinonasal outcome test (SNOT-22) score, we assessed the postoperative outcome. Results: Patients with CRS with polyps (CRSwNP) were more likely to be asthmatic (p = 0.01) and have allergic rhinitis (p = 0.02). CRSwNP patients had higher LKES than those without polyps (CRSsNP) (p = 0.001). Postoperative improvement in LKES was significantly greater in CRSwNP patients (p < 0.001). Preoperative SNOT-22 scores were high in both groups, and postoperative scores showed significant improvement (p < 0.001). Patients who had revision surgery had a similar baseline and postoperative LKES and SNOT-22 scores to those who underwent primary surgery. Conclusion: FESS improves both endoscopic and quality of life outcomes for patients with CRS with and without polyps. Clinical significance: Our study highlights the improvement both in the overall quality of life and in each of the subdomains in patients with CRS after FESS especially in the Indian population. It is important to correlate the objective and subjective outcomes with standardized instruments postoperatively. This will help in monitoring the disease and aid in postoperative management.