Computer-guided endoscopic sinus surgery

Endoscopic sinus surgery has become a frequently performed procedure for minimally invasive surgical management of sinonasal inflammatory and neoplastic disease as well as skull base defects. The development of image guidance systems is a further extension of the trend toward minimally invasive approaches to surgical head and neck problems. Computer-guided endoscopic sinus surgery allows the surgeon to localize the instrument within the sinonasal cavity through the use of computerized tracking systems. Such a system provides a real-time video display of instrument location on a preoperative CT scan. The use of computer-guided endoscopic sinus surgery is especially helpful in identifying spaces within the sinonasal cavity when the normal anatomic landmarks have been distorted by previous surgery or disease processes. This paper reviews the role of computer-guided endoscopic sinus surgery in the management of surgical sinonasal problems.