Guide to the management of complications in endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS)

Abstract

Endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) is one of the most commonly performed procedures in otolaryngology. ESS complications should be distinguished in minor and major based on the treatment they need and the permanent sequelae they can cause. Over the years it has gone from an incidence of complications in endoscopic surgery of 8% for the major and 21% for the minor to a percentage of 0-1.5% and 1.1-20.8%, respectively. This is due to the considerable diffusion of the technique with a progressive increase over the years of the surgical experience but their presence help to educate otolaryngologists and patients about complication rates in ESS in a modern context. A complication occurs when injuries to anatomical structures defined in the literature "risk areas" are created. The surgeon must know and identify these areas because these are important land mark that guide our interventions respecting the anatomical boundaries. The aim of this chapter is to describe principle complications and their managment.