The frontal sinus rescue procedure: Early experience and three-year follow-up

The frontal sinus resale (FSR), first described in 1997, has now been perfo rmed on 24 patients (32 sides) over a period of three years. It is a functi onal endoscopic surgical approach to correct an iatrogenically scarred and obstructed frontal re cess, which cannot be successfully opened via a norma l endoscopic frontal sinusotomy approach. It is utilized primarily for pati ents whose only remaining option is either a Draf-type drill-out (modified intranasal Lothrop) procedure or frontal sinus obliteration. The FSR is a t echnically challenging procedure, but faster, less difficult, and less dest ructive for the patient than a "drill-out" or frontal sinus obliteration. O nce learned, it can save the patient front undergoing the more radical dril l-out or obliterative procedure. The early experience and three-year-follow -up with this new endoscopic procedure is presented in our first 24 patient s (32 sides).