Office-based procedures in rhinosinusitis.

The availability of nasal endoscopes enables the rhinologist to visualize pathology in the posterior nasal cavity and middle meatus. With limited surgical equipment, the surgeon skilled in local anesthesia can perform biopsies, debridements, polypectomies, and turbinate reductions successfully in the office. With more specialized equipment and powered instrumentation,endoscopic maxillary antrostomies and other limited sinus surgeries become possible. On occasion, the surgeon might perform a limited ethmoidectomy,revise a sphenoidotomy, or remove polyps from within the maxillary sinus. For the properly selected patient, office surgery provides convenience and cost savings by eliminating hospital fees, anesthesia charges and preanesthesia testing. For the busy surgeon, office surgery allows improved efficiency by eliminating travel and anesthesia time.