Quality of life following nasal surgery.
OBJECTIVE
This prospective study aimed to investigate changes in quality of life (QOL) after nasal surgery.


METHODS
Prospective study.


METHODS
A total of 788 patients (492 men and 296 women; age range, 9-81 years; mean age, 41 years) were included in this prospective study. Three hundred thirty-six patients received sinus surgery, 358 received septum surgery, and 94 additional patients received sinus surgery involving the septum. QOL was assessed with a standardized questionnaire for general health and well-being (36-Item Short Form Health Survey [SF-36]). Additionally, subjective sinonasal impairment was collected using the Rhinosinusitis Disability Index (RSBI). QOL and subjective sinonasal impairment were retested 4 months after surgery (63-339 days after surgery; mean, 128 days) in 361 patients.


RESULTS
In the RSBI severity scale, 29.5% of the patients rated their sinonasal problems presurgery to be of high severity, 61.2% rated them as medium, and 9.3% as minor. Postsurgery, 2.8% of the patients rated the severity of their sinonasal problems high, 35% medium, and 62.2% minor. Subjective improvement of symptoms was found in more than 80% of the patients. Presurgery, general QOL (SF-36) was impaired in sinus patients and improved significantly after surgery. For most septum patients we found relatively little impact of sinonasal disease on general QOL (SF-36) compared to the German normative sample.


CONCLUSIONS
Functional endoscopic surgery seems to be a good technique for reducing sinonasal symptomatology in the majority of patients. It appears to enhance QOL in those patients who were severely affected beforehand. Long-term investigations are currently underway to further explore the patients' subjective QOL following nasal surgery.
Croy
Ilona
I
Smell and Taste Clinic, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Dresden Medical School (Technische Universität Dresden), Dresden, Germany. ilona.croy@mailbox.tu-dresden.de
Hummel
Thomas
T
Pade
Angelika
A
Pade
Jürgen
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009668:Nose Diseases / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D013517:Otorhinolaryngologic Surgical Procedures / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011184:Postoperative Period; D057234:Preoperative Period; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult