Evaluating the Clinical and Economic Benefits of Image-Guided System in Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery: A Real-World Study in China

Image-guided system (IGS) has been gradually applied in the field of rhinology, making functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) a truly minimally invasive and precise surgery. This study evaluated the clinical and economic benefits of IGS in FESS for chronic rhinosinusitis patients in China. Conducted as a retrospective analysis in two medical centers, the study compared outcomes between 100 patients undergoing FESS with IGS (IGS group) and 100 undergoing traditional FESS (Non-IGS group) from July 1, 2018 to December 31, 2019. The primary endpoints for clinical effectiveness and safety were avoid rehospitalization due to bleeding, avoid reoperation due to bleeding, and avoid reoperation due to recurrence. Our findings revealed a complete avoidance of these complications in the IGS group, as opposed to a 96.00% avoidance rate in the non-IGS group. Economically, while the IGS group incurred higher surgical costs, the overall hospitalization costs were similar between the two groups, with the IGS group showing a marginal cost-saving per patient. These results suggest that IGS in FESS not only enhances clinical outcomes by reducing the risk of postoperative complications but also proves to be cost-effective, offsetting its higher surgical costs with overall savings in medical expenses.