Abstract
In the ENT Department of University Central Hospital, Turku, the waiting list for elective septoplasty grew to 4 to 5 years in the late 1980s. Therefore, a prospective clinical project was initiated during which all patients waiting for septal surgery were re-examined and nasal airway function was measured with rhinomanometry. Patients with high nasal resistance or other specific indications for nasal obstruction were selected for surgery (n = 432). The remaining patients were excluded from surgery and followed up (n = 284). Results showed that if patients were referred for septal surgery without rhinomanometric study, about 10% became symptom-free within 3 to 5 years. Patients operated on after defining a high preoperative intranasal resistance had a higher postoperative satisfaction level (85%) than those operated on with normal nasal resistances but other indications for correcting the nasal septum (69%). After 3 years, the majority of patients not treated surgically were satisfied with their conservative treatments, although certain patients still required some form of nasal surgery to relieve recurring nasal and/or sinus complaints.
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Sipilä, J., Suonpää, J. A prospective study using rhinomanometry and patient clinical satisfaction to determine if objective measurements of nasal airway resistance can improve the quality of septoplasty. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 254, 387–390 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01642556
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01642556