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. 2020 Apr 23;137(3):161–166. doi: 10.1016/j.anorl.2020.04.012

Table 3.

Endonasal surgery: best practice advice in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Group Pathology or type of procedure Recommended approach
Group A
 Surgery that cannot be postponed Sinusitis with complications (cavernous sinus thrombophlebitis, neuromeningeal damage) or on fragile terrain, invasive fungal sinusitis
Complicated mucocoele (neurological or ophthalmic signs)
Very displaced nasal fracture, foreign body in the nasal cavity
Nosebleed not controlled by a balloon catheter when radioembolisation is not possible
Osteo-meningeal breacha
Emergency treatment
Group B
 Risk of prognostic impact if treatment delayed for more than a month Inverted papillomas
Allergic fungal sinusitis in immunosuppressed patients
Mucocoele without compression
Osteo-meningeal breacha
Postpone surgery
Reassess the patient after 1 month and adapt the treatment programme according to the course of the disease and the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic
Group C
 Surgery which can be postponed for a minimum of 6 to 8 weeks without significant prognostic impact Nasosinusal polyposis
Aspergillus sinusitis, oro-antral fistula
Benign lesion to be removed via endonasal route
Rhinoseptoplasty
Dacryocystorhinostomy via endonasal route
Postpone surgery
Reassess the patient after 6 to 8 weeks and adapt the treatment programme according to the course of the disease and the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic
a

Degree of urgency to be discussed on a case-by-case basis.