A NEW OPERATION SYSTEM FOR FUNCTIONAL ENDOSCOPIC SINUS SURGERY (FESS)

Functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) is the treatment of choice in the majority of chronic inflammatory diseases of the paranasal sinuses. Currently used surgical instruments for FESS are based on a ''grab and. tear''-approach, thus predisposing to increased bleeding - especially in nasal polyps - which can significantly reduce the visual field and might lead to consecutive complications, including the injury of the anterior skull base and optic nerve. In the present paper the author introduces a new surgical system, invented by Setliff and Parsons (8), which enables the rhinosurgeon to operate in a near-bloodless field, thus providing an unimpaired vision or a safer approach to the paranasal sinuses. In addition, the system ensures meticulous cutting of tissue instead of tearing, which also reduces the risk of complications. Our experiences with the ''micro debrider system'' have confirmed the usefulness of this instrumentarium, especially in the operative management of nasal polyps, in terms of less traumatic surgery and better visual field thus implying fewer complications during FESS.