Image-Guided Sinus Surgery: Lessons Learned from the First 1000 Cases

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To study physician utilization and experience with image-guidance technology for sinus surgery. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: Retrospective review of the first 1000 image-guided sinus operations performed by 42 surgeons at an academic medical center. RESULTS: Utilization of image-guidance systems showed a dramatic increase in both number of cases performed and surgeons who used this equipment (70.6% and 92.8%, respectively) during the first 2 years of its availability. Surgical volume subsequently decreased by a mean of 9.3% per year, whereas the number of surgeons using this technology plateaued. The majority of surgeons continued to perform image-guided surgery throughout the study period for selected cases. The knowledge base gained from this experience can best be summarized as a series of lessons learned. CONCLUSION: It is likely that the availability and utilization of image-guidance systems for sinus surgery will continue to increase in the future. Physicians who learn to use this new technology must do so with an appreciation for both its potential benefits and pitfalls.