Advances in the surgical management of chronic rhinosinusitis.

The surgical management of chronic rhinosinusitis has evolved considerably in the last decade. We currently have a more refined understanding of the various disease entities that make up the generic diagnosis of chronic rhinosinusitis. This has led to the development of more sophisticated medical and surgical therapy for the different entities. Failure of maximal medical therapy leads to the consideration of surgical intervention with the general intent of improving the patient's quality of life. Recent technical innovations such as mucosa-preserving instrumentation and image guidance systems for intraoperative localization have given surgeons increased confidence and enabled more complete and effective surgical management of chronic rhinosinusitis, particularly in revision surgeries or in the presence of distorted landmarks. Improved packing materials and refinement of postoperative care are active areas of investigation and innovation that, it is hoped, will also translate into improved patient care.