In the era of endoscopic sinus surgery, is there still a place for the Caldwell-Luc procedure?.

In the era of endoscopic sinus surgery, is there still a place for the Caldwell-Luc procedure? In this report, we present evidence in favor of the Caldwell-Luc approach to the maxillary antrum in selected cases where endoscopic techniques are inadequate to allow full resolution of the problem. Although this procedure is not as popular as it was in the past, its role in the management of benign paranasal sinus diseases is still important. We focus in particular on use of the Caldwell-Luc procedure for conditions such as fungal mycetoma, foreign body removal, empyema, and benign nasal tumours in areas that are not fully accessible by endoscopy alone. Advantages of this technique are its safety and simplicity; no special instrumentation is necessary. It can be performed with surgical equipment widely available in operating rooms in Greece and elsewhere.