Conventional surgery still holds a place in certain problems of the nose. For any surgery to survive, it should have consistently good and long lasting results, should be safe and easy to carry out and have minimum complications. Conventional surgery includes cautery of the inferior turbinates, submucous resection of the septum polypectomy, intranasal antrostomy, Caldwell- Luc operation, intra-nasal ethmoidectomy, external frontoethmoidectomy and external frontal operations. Whilst septoplasty remains a commonly done surgery for deviated nasal septums, Caldwell-Luc operation was and is still done for certain maxillary sinus problems. Its indications include chronic maxillary sinusitis, maxillary tumours and cysts, antro-choanal polyps, removal of foreign bodies in the sinus, dentigerous cysts, orbital decompression, and treatment of maxillo-facial trauma. The use of this surgical procedure is also rational in cases of very serious mycotic or septic factors, or when a surgical approach to the pterygo-maxillary fossa is necessary. Polypectomy and intranasal ethmoidectomy have been replaced by functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS). The external frontoethmoidectomy may still be done for severe chronic ethmoidal and frontal sinusitis, recurrent polyposis, ethmoiditis complicated by orbital or periorbital abscess and in cases of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea. These operations have been reviewed and their role in sinus disease discussed.