Evaluation of Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery in Chronic Rhinosinusitis: A Prospective Outcomes Study Using the Sinonasal Outcome Test-22

Background: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a prevalent, debilitating condition causing significant impairment of quality of life. Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS) is the accepted surgical intervention when medical treatment fails; however, objective outcome measurement remains essential. This study evaluates the efficacy of FESS using the validated Sinonasal Outcome Test-22 (SNOT-22) patient-reported outcome measure. Materials and Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted on 33 patients with CRS who underwent FESS. SNOT-22 scores were recorded preoperatively and postoperatively at 1 week, 4 weeks, and 3 months. Paired t -tests were used to compare mean scores at each follow-up time point against baseline. Results: The mean preoperative SNOT-22 score was 42.03 (±6.64). Significant reductions were observed at 1 week (9.94 ± 2.26), 4 weeks (5.61 ± 1.97), and 3 months (4.58 ± 1.41) post-surgery, representing reductions of 76.4%, 86.7%, and 89.1%, respectively. All comparisons were statistically significant ( P < 0.001). Conclusions: FESS produces substantial and sustained improvement in sinonasal symptoms and quality of life in CRS patients. The SNOT-22 is a reliable and sensitive tool for monitoring surgical outcomes. These findings reinforce FESS as the gold standard surgical treatment for medically refractory CRS.