ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) has been used worldwide since the advent of ESS by Messerklinger and Wigand. There have been many reports concerning the results of ESS on the treatment of chronic paranasal sinusitis, but few reports about the intraoperative complications of ESS in Korea. In this paper, we analyzed the intraoperative complications of ESS in Kyung Hee University Hospital and discussed about early recognition and managements. MATERIALS AND METHOD: We reviewed retrospectively the intraoperative complications of ESS of 1025 patients who underwent the ESS at Kyung Hee University Hospital from January 1998 to January 2001. Dividing the intraoperative complications into major and minor, we describe the managements and results. RESULTS: The rate of total complications was 13.27%. The major complications occurred in 0.78%, with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage (0.39%) marking the commonest complication. The ratio of minor complications was 12.49%, with the leading one being the periorbital ecchymosis (6.15%). CONCLUSION: ESS is often complicated by anatomical variations and inexperience of operator, and we must prepare for early detection and managements through preoperative survey of anatomical defects and improvement of operative skills.