Influence of polyps on outcomes after endoscopic sinus surgery.
OBJECTIVE
To determine clinical and comparative outcomes for endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) for chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) with polyposis.


METHODS
Two cohorts of adult patients with refractory CRS with and without nasal polyps were prospectively studied before and after ESS (minimum follow-up, 12 months) with the Rhinosinusitis Symptom Inventory (RSI). For the non-polyp and polyp cohorts, RSI symptom domains and medical resource utilization were compared in the preoperative and postoperative states. Corresponding effect sizes were computed and compared between cohorts to determine the effect of polyps on prognosis after ESS.


RESULTS
A total of 165 non-polyp and 86 polyp patients were enrolled. Polyps were more common in female patients (2:1, P = .025); age (mean, 42.9 years) and follow-up (18.5 months) were similar between groups. Lund scores were significantly higher for polyp patients (13.7, SD 4.8) vs. non-polyp patients (8.1, SD 5.3, P < .001). At baseline, polyp patients reported lower symptom scores for facial, oropharyngeal, and systemic RSI symptom domains (all P < .012); nasal and total symptom domains were similar between groups. Both non-polyp and polyp groups obtained significant symptomatic benefit from ESS with effect sizes for RSI symptom domain improvements ranging from 0.89 to 1.38 and 0.43 to 1.19, respectively (all P < .001). There were no significant differences between groups in symptomatic improvement, excepting oropharyngeal symptoms (better improvement in non-polyp group, P = .024). Non-polyp patients decreased medical resource consumption more significantly than did polyp patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Both non-polyp and polyp patients derive similar clinically significant symptomatic improvement after ESS. These similarities suggest that polyp patients do not necessarily have a poorer symptomatic outcome after ESS.
Bhattacharyya
Neil
N
Division of Otolaryngology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. neiloy@massmed.org
D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006634:Histamine H1 Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009298:Nasal Polyps / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology / Q000601:surgery*; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D006634:Histamine H1 Antagonists