title: Does septoplasty improve the quality of life in children?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to evaluate the outcomes of septoplasty and the effects of septoplasty on the quality of life and to determine postoperative patient satisfaction in children using nose obstruction symptom evaluation (NOSE) and visual analog scale (VAS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Only pediatric patients who underwent septoplasty were included in the study. Patients who underwent adenoidectomy, endoscopic sinus surgery, or turbinate surgery in addition to septoplasty and total septal reconstruction with open technique septorhinoplasty were excluded from the study. Patients and their parents were inquired about their nasal obstruction symptoms using the NOSE scale before and 3 and 12 months following the surgery. VAS was used to analyze overall satisfaction of the patients and their parents on the outcomes of surgery, at the last follow-up examination 12 months after the surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-five patients with a mean age of 13.4 ± 2.8 (8-16) were included in the study. There was a very significant improvement in NOSE score at 3 months after septoplasty. The mean subjective satisfaction score measured with VAS at the 12th month postoperatively was 7.9 ± 2.1. Improvement in NOSE score was correlated with patient satisfaction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Septoplasty is a very effective and satisfactory treatment for nasal obstruction caused by nasal septal deviation in children. The NOSE scale can be used for the evaluation of nasal obstruction symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Sakarya University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Sakarya, Turkey. Electronic address: yilmazms@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Mahmut Sinan
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.affiliation: Sakarya University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Sakarya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guven
authors.affiliation: Sakarya University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Sakarya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Oznur
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Akidil
authors.affiliation: Sakarya University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Sakarya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gurkan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kayabasoglu
authors.affiliation: Sakarya University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Sakarya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Deniz
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Demir
authors.affiliation: Sakarya University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Sakarya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hasan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mermer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015508:Nasal Obstruction / Q000601:surgery*; D009300:Nasal Septum / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000601:surgery*; D009667:Nose Deformities, Acquired / Q000601:surgery; D063868:Patient Outcome Assessment; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life; D064232:Visual Analog Scale
keywords: Children; NOSE scale; Quality of life; Septoplasty