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Objectives: Many experts feel that in the absence of well-defined goals for success, they have an easier time identifying failure. As success ought to not be defined only by absence of failure, we aimed to define optimal outcomes for endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) by obtaining expert surgeon perspectives., Methods: A total of 12 surgeons participated in this targeted consultation. Face to face semi-structured interviews were performed with expert surgeons in the field of CRS and ESS. General impressions and personal definitions of acceptable operative success and optimal operative outcomes were compiled and summarized., Results: According to an expert survey, patients' main objectives are an improvement in their chief complain, a general improvement in quality of life (QoL), and a better overall symptomatic control. The most important aspects of endoscopy for defining a successful intervention were an adequate mucus circulation, a healthy mucosa, minimal edema, and patency of all explored cavities or ostia. In the assessment of surgical outcomes, it was determined that both objective and patient reported data must be carefully examined, with more attention given to subjective outcomes., Conclusions: According to data gathered from a Canadian expert consultation, a definition of success must be based on both subjective data and nasal endoscopy. We propose to define an acceptable outcome as either a subjective improvement of at least the minimal clinically improvement difference of a validated patient reported outcome questionnaire, along with a satisfactory endoscopic result (1) or a complete subjective resolution with a sub-optimal endoscopy (2).

Background: Patients with eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis (ECRS) have been shown to have greater disease severity and poorer treatment outcomes after sinus surgery. Although the inflammatory pattern of ECRS is essential to diagnosing this subtype, there is currently no consensus for diagnosis. Our aim in this study was to determine whether high tissue eosinophilia (HTE), measured as eosinophils per high-power field (eos/HPF), could be used to define ECRS based on likelihood of recurrence., Methods: Embase, Medline, and PubMed databases were searched for studies that reported HTE and recurrence in ECRS patients after surgical treatment. We used a random-effects bivariate meta-analysis to calculate summary sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic odds ratios (DORs) for detecting ECRS at different HTE cut-off scores using risk of recurrence as the primary outcome., Results: We identified 11 articles (n = 3183) that reported HTE associated with recurrence. A cut-off value of >55 eos/HPF showed the highest sensitivity (0.87; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.82-0.91), specificity (0.97; 95% CI, 0.93-0.99), and DOR (232.7; 95% CI, 91.0-595.1). Meta-regression analysis performed showed that the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies score (p = 0.1287), geographic location (p = 0.3745), follow-up time (p = 0.2879), and study design (p = 0.1865) did not affect the test accuracy., Conclusion: Our findings suggest that using eos/HPF has good diagnostic accuracy and may be a useful tool for identifying ECRS patients. Based on the results of our meta-analysis, we recommend a cut-off value of >55 eos/HPF for predicting the likelihood of recurrence of ECRS., (© 2018 ARS-AAOA, LLC.)

Background: Routine histopathological assessment is standard practice for nasal polyp specimens obtained during endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) for chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Retrospective studies suggest that routine histopathology of nasal polyps shows few unexpected diagnoses that alter patient management. Our objective was to study the use of routine pathological analysis, and its cost to the healthcare system, in a prospective manner., Methods: A multicenter prospective assessment was performed from data collected between 2007 and 2013. Only cases of patients undergoing ESS for bilateral CRS were included. We excluded unilateral disease cases, and cases in which diagnoses other than polyps were suspected either preoperatively or intraoperatively. We then compared the preoperative diagnosis with the final histopathology and identified the rate of unexpected pathologies. A cost analysis was performed., Results: Only 4 of 866 pathological specimens were identified as having a clinically significant unexpected diagnosis. All unexpected pathologies in this series were benign. These 4 cases account for 0.46% of all specimens reviewed. This translates to a number needed to screen of 217 cases of bilateral CRS to discover 1 unexpected pathology. The associated cost for making an unexpected diagnosis was $19,192.73., Conclusion: Routine histopathology of nasal polyps in ESS for bilateral CRS with polyps yields few unexpected and management-altering diagnoses. It carries a significant cost to the healthcare system. In cases of bilateral CRS with no other concerning clinical features, clinicians should exercise judgment in submitting polyp specimens for pathology rather than routinely sending polyps for histopathologic analysis., (© 2014 ARS-AAOA, LLC.)

Objective: To determine, in a systematic review, whether purely endoscopic transsphenoidal resection of pituitary adenomas offers improved outcomes and decreased complications compared to the traditional microscopic approach., Design: Systematic review., Setting: The literature was searched using Medline, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library (inception to October 2009) by two independent review authors., Methods: Studies were included if they compared the two surgical approaches for the management of pituitary adenomas and at least one main outcome measure., Main Outcome Measures: Gross tumour resection (GTR), recurrence, visual field improvement, hormone resolution, mean blood loss, mean operative time, mean hospital length of stay, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak, hormone deterioration, vision deterioration, nasal complications, meningitis, and death., Results: Ten studies met the inclusion criteria (one prospective and nine retrospective) and involved 687 patients. The purely endoscopic approach was associated with less mean blood loss, shorter hospital stays and operative times, and fewer nasal complications. There was also a trend toward better GTR and decreased incidence of postoperative diabetes insipidus. However, a higher incidence of postoperative CSF leak was also noted with the endoscopic approach. Other outcomes and complication rates appeared to be similar between the two groups., Conclusions: Purely endoscopic transsphenoidal resection of pituitary adenomas seems to be safe and efficacious when compared to the traditional microscopic approach and may offer some benefit.

Background: The use of image guidance systems has gained widespread acceptance as an adjunctive tool for endoscopic sinus surgery. However, the accessibility and usage of this technology is variable across hospitals in Canada. Study objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the availability, usage, and related issues surrounding the use of image guidance systems in endoscopic sinus surgery across Canadian otolaryngology practice settings. Methods: An online survey was electronically distributed to practicing otolaryngologists across Canada. The survey contained 27 questions pertaining to the availability, usage, barriers and overall experience of image guidance systems. Results: The survey was electronically sent to a total of 654 Canadian otolaryngologists of which 158 responded (response rate 24.2%). Image guidance was available to 56.3% of respondents. Of the respondents without access to IGS, 85.5% indicated they would use it if it was available. Financial (capital cost) was identified as the most important barrier in obtaining IGS by 76.3% of respondents. Conclusion: Over half of Canadian otolaryngologists have access to IGS with over 85% of those without access interested in using it if it was made available. A multitude of different factors contribute to this disparity. We hope that the results of this study will help support Canadian otolaryngologists to access IGS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction to the article "Image guidance system use amongst Canadian otolaryngologists: A nationwide survey" that was published online on July 28, 2022 is presented.