Chronic frontal sinusitis. A new endonasal surgical approach

The multiplicity of surgical procedures for the attempted relief of persistent frontal sinusitis in itself suggests their inadequacy. Every rhinologist is almost constantly haunted by the spectre of unrelieved patients who have left the operating table with adequate surgical endonasal ostia only to return six months later with bony or fibrous stenosis and recurrent symptoms. Further surgery serves only to create new additions to the already impressive group of surgical nihilists among the general medical advisers, as well as the discouraged laity. This seems to be the only too frequent experience after the extensive external operation, as well as the various ingenious intranasal manipulations. The only outstanding exception to this situation appears to be the obliterating collapse operation, which, unfortunately, is so deforming in the large sinus usually present in serious frontal disease that both patient and surgeon rightfully hesitate until everything else possible has been tried.