The endoscopic modified Lothrop: long-term follow-up on 44 patients.

Background: The gold standard for surgical treatment of chronic frontal sinusitis has been the osteoplastic flap with obliteration. In an attempt to preserve the frontal sinus, we have been performing the endoscopic modified Lothrop orfrontal drill-out.

Methods: Retrospective chart review.

Results: We performed the modified Lothrop on 54 patients between 1993 and 1998. The modified Lothrop was successful (no revision surgeries and only an occasional need for antibiotics) after one procedure in 68% (30/44) of patients followed up for > or =1 year. Six patients underwent successful revision, bringing the overall success rate to 82% (36/44). Eight patients (18%) eventually underwent osteoplastic flap with obliteration, three of those after attempted revision. Mean follow-up was 40 months with failures occurring a mean of 12 months after initial Lothrop. Overall complication rate was 11%.

Conclusions: The modified Lothrop is a technically challenging operation that provides an acceptable alternative to the osteoplastic flap with obliteration.