Complications of sinus surgery using powered instrumentation

Powered instrumentation is a widely employed technical refinement of endoscopic sinus surgery. Its capacity for rapid, accurate dissection, sparing adjacent uninvolved mucosa, has proved popular in a variety of surgical situations. However, the widespread use of powered dissection has been associated with a dramatic increase in the scale of injury resulting from surgical complications. For example, orbital fat exposure, which is often of limited consequence in surgery performed with conventional instrumentation, can result in potentially devastating intraorbital injury if the powered instrument is misdirected. This added potential for surgical complication needs to be factored into decisions regarding the routine use of powered instruments.