The sinus surgery completeness score: a radiological assessment of the extent of endoscopic sinus surgery

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) often requires endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) for symptom control. However, there is currently a high reported revision rate. The introduction of biologics offers an alternative treatment, but patient criteria are ambiguous, particularly regarding the definition of “previous ESS.” This study aims to introduce the Sinus Surgery Completeness Score (SSCS) to help evaluate the extent of ESS as well as evaluate the extent of sinus surgery in the study cohort.

The SSCS was developed by expert rhinologists and anterior skull base surgeons and applied to computed tomography (CT) sinus scans of 41 CRS patients who underwent previous ESS. Inter-rater reliability was assessed, and statistical analysis was performed to correlate SSCS scores with Lund-Mackay (LM) and Sinonasal Outcome Test-22 (SNOT-22) scores.

The SSCS demonstrated strong inter-rater reliability (Fleiss Kappa score 0.857). The mean time to complete the SCSS was 2.7 min. Most patients had incomplete surgery with a mean SCSS of 7.40 (total 24) with no patients achieving a maximum score. The maxillary sinus was the most dissected subunit, with frontal and sphenoid sinuses being the least. Weak negative correlations were observed between the SSCS and LM and SNOT-22 scores.

The SSCS is a useful tool for assessing the completeness of sinus surgery, offering a standardized approach to evaluating surgical outcomes. While further research is needed to elucidate the relationship between surgical completeness and patient outcomes, the SSCS holds promise in guiding patient management including informing decisions regarding eligibility for biologic therapy.