title: Assessment of quality of life after endoscopic sinus surgery for chronic rhinosinusitis.
abstract: Chronic rhinosinusitis is a disease of undefined etiology that significantly impacts the quality of life of its patients. Various studies carried out in countries other than Brazil have shown endoscopic sinus surgery as an effective means of treating this condition.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to analyze, with the aid of SNOT-20, the association between endoscopic sinus surgery and disease-specific quality of life of Brazilian patients treated for chronic rhinosinusitis accompanied or not by nasal polyps.
  
  
  METHODS
  This prospective study enrolled patients submitted to endoscopic sinus surgery after drug therapy failed to improve their symptoms. They were assessed based on questionnaire SNOT-20p before and 12 months after surgery. Improvement on total scores and on the five items deemed more important by each patient were assessed. The study also looked into the correlation between preoperative scores and postoperative improvement and if there were any gender-related improvement differences.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-three patients aged 44 (19), md (IQR), 65% of whom (26/43) were males. Statistically significant improvement was seen on SNOT-20 and SNOT-20(5+) and a correlation was established between preoperative scores and postoperative improved scores (p<0.001). No gender-related differences were observed in quality of life.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Endoscopic sinus surgery in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis is associated with statistically significant improvements in disease-specific quality of life.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina, USP.
authors.forename: Thiago Freire Pinto
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Bezerra
authors.forename: Jay F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Piccirillo
authors.forename: Marco Aurelio
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Fornazieri
authors.forename: Renata Ribeiro de Mendonça
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Pilan
authors.forename: Fabio de Rezende
authors.initials: Fde R
authors.lastname: Pinna
authors.forename: Francini Grecco de Melo
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Padua
authors.forename: Richard Louis
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Voegels
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004724:Endoscopy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000601:surgery*; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000601:surgery*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires