Endoscopic surgery improves chronic sinusitis patients' quality of life

Washington, Jan 2 (ANI): Chronic rhinosinusitis patients (CRS) experience improved quality of life (QOL) after endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS), according to a new research.

The study has been published in the January 2010 issue of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery.

CRS is a debilitating form of sinusitis that can lead to significant physical symptoms as well as substantial functional and emotional impairment. Symptoms of CRS include stuffy nose, sinus pain and pressure, headache, and sneezing, and CRS is often confused with the cold, flu, or allergies.

Patients with sinusitis score lower in QOL measures of bodily pain and social functioning than patients with congestive heart failure, angina, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or back pain.

The prospective, multi-institutional cohort study analyzed a total 302 patients with CRS from three medical centers between July 2004 and December 2008 and followed the patients for approximately one and a half years postoperatively.

Results of the study showed 72 -76 percent of patients with CRS and poor baseline QOL experienced clinically significant improvement in disease-specific QOL outcomes after ESS. (ANI)