[Severe complications in the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis and nasal polyps with endoscopic sinus surgery].

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the classification, incidence and influential factors of severe complications occurred in endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) and how to deal with them.

METHODS

One thousand and one hundred two patients with chronic sinusitis and nasal polyps treated by ESS were analyzed.

RESULTS

Twenty-one patients had severe complications. The types of complication included intraorbital hematoma (n=3), medial rectus injury (n=2), blindness (n=1), intracranial, hematoma (n=1), cerebrospinal rhinorrhea (n=3), nasolacrimal duct injury (n=3), nasal septum perforation (n=2), hemorrhage (n=2), thrombosis in legs (n=2) and asthma (n=2). The total incidence of severe complications was 1.91% (21/1102), most of which were complications in orbit (0.54%) and cranium (0.36%). The extent of the lesion, the surgical history of the patients, the technique and experience of the surgeons were the most important influential factors to severe complications.

CONCLUSIONS

Although there are many influential factors to severe complications in ESS, subjective factors are the more important, especial, the technique and the experience of the surgeon.