Abstract
Introduction: One of the most common complications of functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) is purulent rhinosinusitis, which often requires antibiotic (ATB) therapy. The aim of our study was to determine whether complications requiring ATB administration are so frequent and severe that antibiotic prophylaxis would be beneficial.
Our next question is whether a complicated postoperative course with ATB therapy leads to early recurrence and thus reoperation. Material and methods: This is a retrospective study of 370 patients undergoing FESS at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Hospital Královské Vinohrady, 3rd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, between 2012 and 2018 for chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP).
We investigated the incidence of postoperative complications, the reason for postoperative ATB therapy and the rate of revision FESS within 3 years in patients with complicated and uncomplicated healing. In the study cohort, we observed complications in 35 cases (9.5%); the most common complication was postoperative purulent rhinosinusitis, which was observed in 23 patients (6.2%).
ATB therapy was indicated in 37 (10%) patients, most often because of postoperative purulent rhinosinusitis. Results: We did not show that patients with complicated healing reached revision surgery more often (P = 0.3883).
Our findings are consistent with data from the available literature, according to which patients do not benefit significantly from the administration of ATB prophylaxis. Conclusion: ATB prophylaxis is not universally indicated in FESS.
Postoperative suppurative inflammation is not associated with early recurrence requiring revision surgery.