Exploring possibilities in nasal polyposis treatment at one Croatian hospital.

AIM: To validate different operative techniques commonly used for nasal polyposis (NP) treatment.

METHODS: This is a retrospective study exploring data on the NP surgery during a five-year period at the Ear, Nose and Throat Department at Clinical Hospital Centre Osijek, Croatia. Data were analysed regarding patients' gender, age, type of the surgery performed, and possible recurrence. Recurrence rate among patients that were followed up during that period of time and operated by different techniques (FESS vs. classical polipectomy) was compared.

RESULTS: Most frequently used operative technique was classical bilateral polypectomy, in 62.9% (154/245) of cases. The frequency of classical polypectomy was significantly decreased from 42/46 (91.3%) in 2006 to 34/60 (56.7%) cases in 2010, whereas the frequency of FESS in combination with classical polypectomy was significantly increased during that period (p<0.0001). Among patients with relapse that were followed up most of them were subjected to classical polypectomy at the time of their first surgery (9/10), thus implicating higher incidence of relapse in classically polypectomized patients.

CONCLUSIONS: A higher incidence of recurrence in patients who underwent classical polypectomy implicates the need for additional precautions when choosing an operative technique. In addition, further investigation of NP and better understanding of etiology as well as the development of more specific drugs would be of great importance for the improvement of nasal polyposis treatment in the future.