CALDWELL-LUC PROCEDURE WITHOUT INFERIOR MEATAL ANTROSTOMY

Maxillary sinus pathology are very frequent. Caldwell-Luc along with inferior meatal antrostomy (IMA) is the stereotype surgical procedure to treat them. However, IMA has been criticised as it leads to early loss of the sinusotomy, injury to nasolacrimal duct, epistaxis from sphenopalatine artery and deviation from the normal sinus anomaly. Therefore, the necessity of IMA for the Caldwell-Luc operation is mainly for intrasinus neoplasm or trauma and for providing access to the perisinus and the pterygomaxillary fossa. The modified Caldwell-Luc operation, that is without IMA provides easier postoperative care and involves fewer complications. Newer technique like Functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) has a long-term higher success rate for symptomatic improvement in patients with medically refractory chronic rhinosinusitis. With the popularity of FESS with the time, IMA has lost it’s popularity