Durability of Quality-of-Life Improvements Following Pediatric Septorhinoplasty.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the durability of improvements in validated quality-of-life measures in children undergoing septoplasty and septorhinoplasty.

STUDY

DESIGN

Prospective enrollment of consecutive patients undergoing evaluation for surgery.

SETTING

Academic, free-standing children's hospital.

METHODS

Data collected included preoperative and postoperative scores for validated surveys: Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) and Sinonasal-5 (SN-5) (consisting of a numeric Likert score and a Visual Analog Scale [VAS] score) at all follow up appointments. Existing database was reviewed for demographics, confounding preoperative diagnoses, and surgery performed.

RESULTS

Four hundred and twenty-two patients were surveyed. NOSE scores decreased from 67 preoperatively to 16, 13, 16, and 23 at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery, respectively. Sinonasal-5 Likert scores decreased from 3.4 at baseline to 1.9, 1.6, 1.6, and 2.0 at the same timepoints and the SN-5 VAS scores increased from 5 prior to surgery to 9 at 1 to 6 months after surgery and 8 at 1-year. The only statistically significant predictor of poorer outcomes was a prior history of nasal surgery-which resulted in lower NOSE and SN-5 Likert scores at 1-year and lower SN-5 VAS scores at 6 and 12 months postoperative. Limited data (n = 24) for follow-up beyond 1 year showed sustained improvement in all measures-NOSE 32, SN-5 Likert 2.5, and SN-5 VAS 8-out to an average of 30 months.

CONCLUSION

Improvements in quality-of-life metrics after pediatric septal surgery are sustained to at least 1 year after surgery.