OBJECTIVES: Studies examining the early postoperative period after endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) are lacking. The objectives were to determine patient expectations of recovery following ESS and compare these expectations to actual outcomes.
STUDY DESIGN: A prospective study. An 11-item survey regarding recovery from anesthesia and sinonasal outcomes was administered after ESS over postoperative days (POD) #1, #7, and #14. Preoperative surveys established baseline levels and explored patient expectations of POD #1 outcomes.
RESULTS: Forty-six patients participated. Individual expectations generally did not correlate with POD #1 outcomes. Sinonasal symptoms, narcotic usage, and activity level (P < 0.05) demonstrated significant improvement over the postoperative period. Within one week, 75% of patients returned to work. By POD #14, nasal obstruction, discharge, fatigue, and overall health (P < 0.05) had improved over preoperative levels. Patients undergoing concomitant septoplasty had a more difficult postoperative course.
CONCLUSION: Patient expectations of ESS vary widely, although this surgery is generally well tolerated with a brief recovery period.
EBM rating: C-4
© 2006 American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation, Inc. All rights reserved.
