Intranasal and transantral ethmoidectomy: a 20-year experience.

Ethmoidectomy is an operation that has engendered controversy concerning the best route of surgical access. The purpose of this study was to present the results of the authors' experience in more than 1300 intranasal sphenoethmoidectomies and transantral sphenoethmoidectomies performed over a 20-year period. The authors contend that the most effective ethmoidectomy is the most complete ethmoidectomy and have previously presented a case for ethmoid marsupialization. Polyp recurrence rates of less than 20% and a major complication rate of less than 1% were reported in this study.