title: Evaluation of residual symptoms: A method to assess surgical outcomes for nasal polyposis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The assessment of residual symptoms after endoscopic sinus surgery for nasal polyposis (NP) could be an accurate way to evaluate surgical outcomes.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the residual symptoms and their severity at 6 weeks and 7 months after radical ethmoidectomy for NP.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-five patients who had surgery for NP were included in this prospective study. Six residual symptoms (nasal obstruction, anterior rhinorrhea, postnasal discharge, olfactory disturbances, facial pain, and cough) were assessed by using the validated Dysfonctionnement Nasal Chronique (French) or Chronic Nasal Dysfunction (English) questionnaire at 6 weeks and 7 months after surgery. Olfactory measurements were performed with the Sniffin' Stick test. A self-rating score of ≥1 was considered as "having a complaint."
  
  
  RESULTS
  Radical ethmoidectomy for NP improved not only the number of symptoms but also the intensity of symptoms. Before surgery, 64 of 65 patients (98.46%) reported at least three of the six symptoms, whereas 26 patients (40%) reported six symptoms, 16 (24.62%) reported five symptoms, and 14 (21.54%) reported four symptoms. At 6 weeks and at 7 months after surgery, one-third of the patients had fewer than three symptoms. Olfactory disturbance remained the most mentioned postoperative disabling problem. Posterior discharge tended to become more pronounced at 7 months than at 6 weeks after surgery but remained considerably improved compared with the preoperative state.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This information is useful to warn patients about the difficulty of getting rid of all symptoms and that there is a chance that some symptoms remain or even reappear after NP surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ear, Nose & Throat-Head and Neck Surgery University Hospital of Nancy, Nancy, France.
authors.forename: Duc Trung
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Gratien
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bonfort
authors.forename: Fabien
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Arous
authors.forename: Marylisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Felix-Ravelo
authors.forename: Phi-Linh
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Nguyen-Thi
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jankowski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003371:Cough / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D004724:Endoscopy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015508:Nasal Obstruction / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D009298:Nasal Polyps / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D000857:Olfaction Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D012225:Rhinoplasty; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires