Assessing adequacy of surgical extent in CRSwNP: The Completion of Surgery Index

Abstract Background Endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) maximized for topical steroid irrigations is highly effective for polyp disease. As extent and completeness of ESS varies widely by situation and practitioner, it is important to understand when revision surgery is appropriate, particularly in the era of biologic treatments. Methods A Completion of Surgery Index (CoSI) was developed to assess operative changes in polyp patients using pre‐ and postoperative computed tomography scans. The CoSI was then applied and tested in a cohort of consecutive chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) patients, and examined within the context of quality‐of‐life improvements. Results The CoSI assesses surgical extent on a scale of 0–100, with 100 representing the highest possible degree of surgical completeness. Among 100 consecutive CRSwNP patients undergoing ESS in 2021 with postoperative topical steroid irrigations, including 75 revision surgeries, SNOT‐22 scores improved at 6 months postoperatively, with durable and consistent improvement at 24 months ( p < 0.001). Preoperative CoSI scores in revision surgery patients were 49.4 ± 26.0, improving to 91.0 ± 8.1 postoperatively. SNOT‐22 scores for primary ESS patients and patients with a preoperative CoSI score of less than 70 improved by 26.4 and 28.1 points, respectively, in contrast to patients with a preoperative CoSI of 70 or greater (14.1 points, p = 0.029). Conclusions It is important to define extent of surgery in CRSwNP to stratify postsurgical patients based on likelihood to benefit from revision surgery or alternative medications. The CoSI can be utilized to identify patients who are likely to improve significantly with revision surgical intervention.