Functional endoscopic sinus surgery on a day case out-patient basis.

One hundred patients, aged 13-79 years, have undergone 195 endoscopic 'ethmoidectomies'. The operative method was entirely based upon the Messerklinger technique. In this study there were two main groups. (1) Patients with moderate to massive nasal/endonasal polyposis. (2) Patients with recurrent sinusitis. In the second group, the preoperative endoscopic findings were dominated by disease in the middle meatus and in the area of the anterior ethmoid, verified either by conventional hypocycloidal or computed tomography. Close to 90% of the patients were treated on an out-patient basis, under local anaesthesia. No serious peroperative complications (major bleeding, CSF leak, or visual problems) have been encountered. Thorough and meticulous post-operative care to avoid adhesions and renewed ostiomeatal obstruction, is felt to be important. The mean follow-up was 14 months. The post-operative results are encouraging, and correspond to larger European and American reports. The Messerklinger technique has proved to be suitable for smaller ENT departments, such as ours, especially as the patients can be treated on an out-patient basis using local/topical anaesthesia.