Functional nasal and sinus surgery

Functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) was first described in the late 1970s and has become increasingly popular in the last 30 years. With its high success rate and low risk of major complications, it is one of the most commonly performed ambulatory surgical procedures in otolaryngology [1]. Chronic sinusitis affects approximately 35 million Americans annually and accounts for 11.6 million visits to a physician [2]. It is common in all ages and ethnic groups. Chronic sinusitis has been shown to have a dramatic effect on quality of life, comparable to that seen in conditions such as coronary artery disease and asthma [3]. In addition to its use for the treatment of chronic sinusitis, the FESS approach has expanded to a variety of other surgical procedures including skull base surgery, transphenoidal pituitary tumor resection (Chap. 18), and the treatment of vascular malformations [4].