[Current aspects of frontal sinus surgery. I: Endonasal frontal sinus drainage in inflammatory diseases of the paranasal sinuses].

Most conditions of the frontal sinus requiring surgery can now be managed successfully by endonasal procedures. According to Draf, 3 types of frontal sinus drainage occur. Surgical techniques and indications are described. In a retrospective study we evaluated 132/648 patients who were on average 5 years postoperative. Forty-two patients had type 1, 43 patients had type 2 and 47 patients had type 3 drainage. Endoscopy revealed a normal mucosa in 56-67%, whole polyps were found in 9-15%. There was no recurrence of an orbital or endocranial complication. According to our definition of surgical success, there was a success rate of 83.4% with type 1 drainage, 83.7% with type 2 drainage and 89.4% with type 3 drainage. If there was only little chance for successful endonasal surgery with type 3 drainage, an external osteoplastic frontal sinus operation was performed for definitive therapy.