Nasal morbidity following endoscopic skull base surgery: a prospective cohort study.
BACKGROUND
Nasal morbidity following skull base surgery necessitates follow-up for postoperative care. We describe nasal morbidity following endoscopic skull base surgery.


METHODS
Patient and operative data and postoperative subjective and objective measures of morbidity were prospectively collected for 1 year. Time to absence of crusting and remucosalization were determined. Risk factor analyses for crusting and nasal discharge were performed.


RESULTS
Nasal crusting (98%) and discharge (46%) were the most common postoperative symptoms. Median time to absence of crusting was 101.0 days, with longer times for complex cases (p = .033) but not for patients with septal flaps or fat grafts. Median time to remucosalization after nasoseptal flap was 89.0 days. There were no risk factors for crusting, although surgical complexity was a risk factor for postoperative discharge (odds ratio [OR] = 5.17).


CONCLUSIONS
Nasal morbidity following endoscopic skull base surgery is common and may be affected by surgical complexity and use of the nasoseptal flap.
de Almeida
John R
JR
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Snyderman
Carl H
CH
Gardner
Paul A
PA
Carrau
Ricardo L
RL
Vescan
Allan D
AD
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009668:Nose Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D019291:Skull Base / Q000601:surgery*; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D055815:Young Adult