Perioperative care in functional endoscopic sinus surgery: a survey study.
BACKGROUND
Functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) is largely viewed as the standard of care in the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) refractory to medical treatment. While there is an understanding regarding the importance of some form of routine postoperative FESS care, no consensus currently exists regarding what the specific management routine should include. The authors of this survey study did not intend to examine the efficacy of such treatment protocols, but rather to determine and report on the current practice patterns of perioperative FESS care among otolaryngologists.


METHODS
This survey study was designed in accordance with and approved by our institutional review board. The online-based survey was designed using the online product SurveyMonkey®. A total of 859 otolaryngologists were identified and email addresses were obtained from the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) website directory. Responses were collected anonymously.


RESULTS
Our survey response rate was 32%. Multiple parameters of the otolaryngologists' perioperative care were collected. Among the data, some consistent patterns emerged: 93.2% of respondents use nasal saline irrigations postoperatively; 86.8% of otolaryngologists surveyed prescribe antibiotics in the immediate postoperative period; and office-based endoscopic sinus debridements are performed by a majority (87.9%) of those surveyed.


CONCLUSIONS
This survey study demonstrates that current practices in perioperative FESS care can vary widely among otolaryngologists, and are not uniformly based on evidence-based outcomes research. Despite the lack of absolutes regarding the specific perioperative care in FESS, practice patterns emerge from the data regarding typical perioperative management among current otolaryngologists.
Penn State Hershey Medical Center, Division of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.
Rafael Antonio
RA
Portela
Jessica
J
Hootnick
Johnathan
J
McGinn
D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001684:Biological Dressings / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003646:Debridement / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D010036:Otolaryngology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010256:Paranasal Sinuses / Q000601:surgery*; D019990:Perioperative Care / Q000379:methods*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013256:Steroids / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D013256:Steroids; D012965:Sodium Chloride