Middle meatal antrostomy: long-term patency and results in chronic maxillary sinusitis. A prospective study.

This prospective study included 51 patients with chronic maxillary sinusitis who had 90 middle meatal antrostomy procedures. The aim of the study was to examine the long-term patency of the antrostomy 18-30 months post-operatively (average 26 months) and the relationship between the degree of patency and the degree of improvement in each of the symptoms of chronic maxillary sinusitis. Our results showed patency as follows: 80% widely patent (more than 8 mm), 9% patent (5-8 mm), 4.5% stenosed (less than 5 mm), 6.5% blocked by mucosal disease and none were closed by bone. For all symptoms, there was a significant relationship between the degree of patency and the degree of improvement (P < 0.01 for headache, nasal obstruction and pain, P < 0.05 for post-nasal discharge). We conclude from this study that middle meatal antrostomy has a long-term high patency rate and there is a significant relationship between the degree of patency and the degree of improvement in each of the symptoms of chronic maxillary sinusitis.