Characteristics of included studies.

This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to: assess the effectiveness and safety of orally administered Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) as adjuncts to the post-surgical management of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS); inform clinicians of the current evidence; identify the best available evidence; and suggest directions for further research. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) were identified from searches of nine databases plus clinical trial registries. Participants were adults and/or children diagnosed with sinusitis or rhinosinusitis, with or without nasal polyps, who had received surgery. Interventions were CHMs used orally following surgery for CRS as additions to conventional post-surgical management. Controls received conventional post-surgical management without CHMs. Studies reported results for Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT), visual analogue scales (VAS), Lund-Mackay computed tomography score (LM), Lund-Kennedy endoscopic score (LK), mucociliary transport time (MTT), mucociliary transport rate (MTR), mucociliary clearance (MC) or quality of life (QoL). Twenty-one RCTs were included. All used oral CHMs following functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS). The pooled results showed no significant difference between groups for SNOT-20 at the end of treatment (EoT) but there was a significant difference at follow up (FU) in favour of additional CHMs. The VAS for total nasal symptoms (VAS-TNS) showed greater improvements in the CHM groups at EoT and FU. Only FU data were reported for LM which showed greater improvement in the CHM groups. LK showed greater improvements at EoT and FU. The measures of mucociliary transport (MTT, MTR, and MC) each showed significantly greater improvement at EoT in the group that received additional CHMs. No study reported QoL. Adverse events were not serious, but reporting was incomplete. The meta-analyses suggested the addition of oral CHMs to conventional management following FESS may improve recovery. However, most studies were not blinded, and substantial heterogeneity was evident in some meta-analyses. Blinded studies are required to further investigate the roles of oral CHMs in post-surgical recovery.Systematic review registration number: The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42019119586).