surgery or not?

i am a fifty year old woman with chronic allergies and a chronic sinus condition.  The last six months have been VERY difficult.  I have been on antibiotics more time than not.  I have taken several rounds of steroids and continue to take sinus medication,   The docs, both allergist and ENT requested a CT scan.  THe results are moderate to sever thickening in the maxillary sinus and then a 2 inch polyp displacing the left posterior ethmoid air cells. The ENT says that the polyp is lodged between my left eye  socket and brain membrane.   BOth docs recommend surgery.  I have had a couple of surgeries of the years for polyps, but they were not se deep and not nearly as large.  I have been reading on line and there are some docs that say there is no need.  Seems like i should go ahead with it, but wondered if there was anotherway.................

[National Jewish Health]

I regret that I have been unable to secure an authoritative opinion regarding the diagnosis and treatment of the ethmoid polyp.

However, my strong advice is that you only agree to surgery, if performed by a surgeon with extensive experience with polyps and tumors in the ethmoid sinus area.  The risk of damage to vital adjacent structures, including but not limited to the orbit and brain is just too great for a less than very experienced surgeon to perform the surgery.  Depending on the lesion, agreement on the type of mass, polyp or other, and its exact location, the surgery might best be performed by an ENT, a cancer surgeon, also known as an oncology surgeon, an ophthalmologist or a head and neck surgeon, or by any 2 of the above working together.

I suggest that you discuss this with your primary care physician (PCP) and seek his/her recommendation of the most qualified person in your geographical area to make the necessary decision on how to proceed.  That person could be at a large clinic, such as the Mayo or Cleveland Clinic, Memorial Sloane-Kettering in New York City or the nearest university medical center.  Do not hesitate to ask any surgeon what his/her experience, complications and outcomes with this surgery have been.  You and your PCP must be your advocates.

Good luck.