title: Olfaction after endoscopic sinus surgery: long-term results.
abstract: Loss of olfactory function is one of the main symptoms in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis. This prospective, non-randomized interventional study reports five years results of olfaction of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis who underwent endoscopic sinus surgery in conjunction with topical medical treatment. Forty-five patients with chronic rhinosinusitis who underwent endoscopic sinus surgery were evaluated preoperatively, after three months and 34 (76%) of them after five years. Olfactory function was assessed by a subjective visual analogue scale, by a screening test of olfaction with Smell Diskettes and by measuring the N-Butanol threshold. Patient`s subjective sense of olfaction using a visual analogue scale was improved in 79% at 5 years. Objective measurements by Smell Diskettes improved in 53% at 5 years whilst the quantitative measurement by the N-Butanol threshold improved in 85% at 5 years. The high percentage of patients with improvement of olfaction five years after surgery indicates that endoscopic sinus surgery in conjunction with continued topical treatment leads to a long term improvement of the sense of smell. However, it was found that - measured by the sensitive N-Butanol threshold - up to 9% had no improvement and 6% had deterioration in their olfaction at 5 years after endoscopic sinus surgery. This fact has to be considered in the preoperative counselling of patients.
authors.affiliation: ORL-Zentrum (Center for Otology, Skull Base Surgery, Rhinology and Facial Plastic Surgery), Hirslanden Clinic, Zurich, Switzerland. briner@orlzentrum.com
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Briner
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Simmen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004724:Endoscopy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D000857:Olfaction Disorders; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000601:surgery*; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000601:surgery*; D012903:Smell; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult