LONG-TERM RESULTS AFTER LATERAL RHINOTOMY AND MEDIAL MAXILLOETHMOIDECTOMY

Functional and cosmetic results in 93 patients were analysed on averag e at 42 months after lateral rhinotomy and medial maxilloethmoidectomy . The rate of postoperative complications was 11.8%. The final cosmeti c result was more than 1 year postoperatively satisfactory or better i n 93.1% after osteoclastic and in 97.8% after osteoplastic lateral rhi notomy. 38.7% of the patients suffered from different postoperative co mplaints. The main problems were endonasal crusting, hypaesthesia in t he V2 region, olfactory dysfunction and epiphora. Considering the resu lts neither the rate of complications nor the cosmetic outcome are cri tical as usually mentioned in the literature. However, the rate of oth er different problems complained by the patients postoperatively give reason to add alternative oncosurgical procedures like midfacial deglo ving and endoscopic techniques, to the general operative repertoire of a hospital.