Complications of ethmoidectomy: a survey of fellows of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.

A survey regarding complications of sinus surgery was mailed to 6969 otolaryngologists; 3933 responses (56.44%) were obtained, and 3043 of these physicians (77.37%) reported that they performed ethmoidectomy. Completed questionnaires were available for review from 42.21% of all Academy fellows (2942 physicians). Responses were tabulated and summarized question by question. Physicians generally did not rate their residency training in ethmoidectomy highly. The survey confirmed that there has been a marked rise in the frequency of ethmoidectomy and in the amount of training in ethmoidectomy since 1985. Empirical complication rates were calculated for different procedures and time periods. Poisson regression models were then constructed to describe the rate of complications under varying conditions such as the type of surgery performed, time period, experience and training of the surgeon, and type of complication encountered. The models permitted determination of the statistical significance of variables in relation to incidence or complications. The study did not demonstrate a clear and consistent statistical relationship between the incidence of complications, the type of surgery performed, and the quality of training. Moreover, physicians who provided data from record review tended to report higher rates than those who estimated responses. The majority of physicians discussed specific potential complications with their patients before surgery and routinely performed preoperative computed tomography. The study demonstrated that physicians who experienced complications at higher rates were more likely to discuss these complications with patients before surgery.