Does Functional Septorhinoplasty Provide Improvement of the Nasal Passage in Validated Patient-Reported Outcome Measures?

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether functional septorhinoplasty provides improvement of the nasal passage in validated patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) for adults with an anatomical obstruction of the nasal valve. All patients with an anatomical obstruction of the nasal valve area due to nasal valve pathology and/or septal deviations in this area were included.

Methods: A systematic PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library search was performed to identify relevant articles. The articles were critically appraised and ranked according to validity and relevance.

Results: Sixteen articles met our inclusion criteria, and after critical appraisal, 10 were eligible for further analysis. In 9 studies, the Nose Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) score improved from 35 to 60 points. In 1 study, the Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22) improved 3.5 points.

Conclusion: The results suggest that there is a significant improvement of the validated PROMs after functional septorhinoplasty in the first postoperative year. We recommend that adults with nasal breathing problems due to an anatomical problem of the nasal valve area should consider undergoing functional septorhinoplasty.