title: Evidence-based endoscopic sinus surgery.
abstract: Evidence-based medicine principles applied to otolaryngology and endoscopic sinus surgery provide the surgeon, patient, and third-party payer with all of the necessary requirements to evaluate the effectiveness of the surgery. Above all, they ensure long-term improvement in quality of life and patients' satisfaction. A specific study on the outcomes of endoscopic sinus surgery is presented. A longitudinal observational study of 51 patients undergoing endoscopic sinus surgery for recurrent acute rhinosinusitis, chronic rhinosinusitis, and nasal polyposis was done in two hospitals. Patients were evaluated preoperatively and 3 months postoperatively with a disease-specific health status questionnaire (Quebec French-Rhinosinusitis Outcome Measure) and a general health status questionnaire (the Medical Outcome Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey). The results show statistically significant improvement in quality of life after endoscopic sinus surgery in both the disease-specific and the disease-generic health status questionnaires. The broader subject of objective and subjective outcomes assessment, along with evidence-based evaluation, is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery (Otolaryngology), Centre Hospitalier Anna-Laberge, Châteauguay, PQ. dory.durr@videotron.ca
authors.forename: Dory G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Durr
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Desrosiers
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004724:Endoscopy; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009298:Nasal Polyps / Q000601:surgery*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010256:Paranasal Sinuses / Q000601:surgery*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000601:surgery*; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000601:surgery*; D013997:Time Factors