Patency rate of endoscopic middle meatus antrostomy.

A series of 145 patients with chronic sinusitis were treated with functional endoscopic sinus surgery. Patency of the middle meatus was evaluated by actuarial life-table methods. After 24 months' follow-up, the overall patency rate of endoscopic middle meatotomy was 94.08%. Questionnaire data indicated that 91.8% of these patients were improved or asymptomatic. This preliminary study indicates that the patency rate of middle meatal antrostomy appears to be greater than that of inferior meatal antrostomy when compared to literature controls, and that a high percentage of these patients are improved by this surgery.