title: Nasal batten grafts: are patients satisfied?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To learn how nasal batten grafts affect patients' assessment of their nasal airway patency and to determine the extent to which patients believe batten grafts altered their appearance.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective survey study of 18 patients in a tertiary veterans hospital who had nasal airway obstruction (NAO) due to nasal valve collapse was completed. Patients had placement of bilateral polyethylene batten grafts during a 36-month study period. The Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) validated survey was used to measure a patient's subjective postoperative change in nasal airway obstruction. In addition, the patients were asked to rate the extent their appearance had changed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients presented with complaints of NAO due to nasal valve collapse either in isolation or in combination with another anatomical source of obstruction. The nasal valve collapse was identified by clinical examination. All patients had preoperative photographs. Most patients had a trial with an intranasal stent before opting for surgical implantation of the batten grafts. The results of the NOSE survey demonstrate significant improvement in nasal obstruction. Patients also reported only a minimal change in appearance. There was 1 patient with implant extrusions and only a few implants were removed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nasal airway obstruction due to nasal valve collapse can be effectively treated with polyethylene batten grafts. The implants are well tolerated, and patients report a significant improvement in NAO. There is little risk of implant extrusion, exposure, or intolerance. In addition, patients did not note a significant change to their appearance.
authors.affiliation: Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Surgical Services, Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sufyan
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ziebarth
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Crousore
authors.forename: Tonya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Berguson
authors.forename: Mimi S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Kokoska
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015508:Nasal Obstruction / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D020959:Polyethylene; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D012225:Rhinoplasty / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D020959:Polyethylene