Functional endoscopic sinus surgery: results in the young child.

Recent studies have addressed the usefulness of functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) in both adult and pediatric patients, but little information is available concerning the long-term followup of young children. During a 31 month period, 57 children, age six years or less had FESS performed by a single surgeon. In each case the child had failed aggressive medical management including long-term oral antibiotics. A coronal sinus CT scan was obtained prior to surgery and showed opacification of the maxillary and/or ethmoid sinuses with obstruction of the ostiomeatal complexes. A similar surgical approach was used in each case. There were no major surgical or anesthetic complications noted during the initial procedure or the followup debridement. To evaluate the results of FESS, a questionnaire was mailed to the parents of each patient. The questionnaires were completed 5 to 36 months after surgery (mean 17.3 months). Ninety-three percent of the children showed improvement based on the observations of their parents. Improvement was judged primarily by reduced symptoms, reduced need for antibiotics, and the need for fewer doctor visits during the followup period. In summary, FESS appears to offer a safe and effective technique to control sinus disease in children who do not respond to aggressive medical management. In skilled hands, this technique is associated with few complications and appears to offer relief even in young patients.