Background: The aim of this work was to study the outcome and rate of complications in a cohort of patients who underwent computer-assisted surgery (CAS). A retrospective study was performed of all patients undergoing CAS at a tertiary care teaching hospital over a 5-year period.
Methods: All patients who underwent computer-assisted sinus surgery with at least 1 year of follow-up were included in the study. Charts were reviewed for indication of CAS, incidence of major complications, and need for revision surgery after CAS.
Results: A total of 120 patients underwent CAS in the 5-year period. Ten patients were lost to follow-up and were not included in the analysis. Indications for the use of CAS were revision surgery in 85 patients, sphenoid sinus disease in 12 patients, isolated frontal sinus disease in 4 patients, combined sphenoid and frontal disease in 2 patients, and cerebrospinal fluid leak (CSF) leak in 7 patients. The mean postoperative follow-up was 2.6 years. There were no major complications. Fifteen (16.5%) patients required revision surgery: 10 patients required revision endoscopic sinus surgery (1-5 revisions using CAS), 3 patients required an external open procedure, and 3 patients required revision CSF leak closure (one patient required both revision sinus surgery and an external procedure). There were no cases of major intra- or postoperative bleeding, central nervous system damage, CSF leak, or orbital trauma in this study.
Conclusion: CAS helps in avoiding trauma to the orbit and anterior skull base and has a low incidence of major complications. The need for revision surgery may occur in patients with frontal sinus disease, nasal polyposis, or recurrent CSF leak.