Resident Mayo Clinic Arizona Mayo Clinic Arizona Phoenix, Arizona
Background: Patients with a nasal septal perforation (NSP) may experience multiple symptoms and consistent successful surgical closure is possible. Quality of life change following NSP repair has not been well studied.
Methodology/Principal: This retrospective study identified patients who presented for extended follow-up following attempted NSP closure and completed the Glasgow Benefit Inventory (GBI), a validated quality of life outcome instrument specific to otolaryngologic procedures, from August 2018 thru October 2021.
Results: Ninety-eight patients met study criteria. All patients underwent endonasal NSP repair utilizing bilateral nasal mucosal flaps with an autogenous interposition graft. Sixty-five patients were female and mean age at surgery was 45.5 (range, 14-78) years. Mean (95 % CI) perforation length was 12.9 (1.3) mm and height, 9.7 (0.9) mm. The GBI was completed at least 6 months postoperatively with average follow-up (95% CI) of 12.7 (1.5) months. Complete closure was noted in 91 patients. The average GBI score (95% CI) was 29.6 (5.2).
Conclusions: Septal perforation repair utilizing a bilateral mucosal flap technique can confer a measurable quality of life improvement as determined by the GBI. This benefit is comparable to GBI measured improvement following septoplasty, sinus surgery, tonsillectomy, and middle ear surgery.