Age and Unplanned Postoperative Visits Predict Outcome after Septoplasty: A National Swedish Register Study

To study predictors of symptom relief six months after septoplasty using data from the Swedish National Septoplasty Register.

This is a retrospective register study of adult patients undergoing septoplasty in Sweden in 2003-2012.

Relief of nasal symptoms was analysed in relation to age, gender, size of hospital performing the surgery, addition of turbinoplasty, and unplanned postoperative visits to the hospital due to pain, bleeding, or infection.

In all, 76% of the patients (n = 5,865) rated their symptoms as "almost gone" or "gone" six months after septoplasty. With every 10-year increase in the age of the patients, the OR was 1.19, 95% CI 1.15-1.23, for a better result and 1.54, 95% CI 1.38-1.71, if the septoplasty was performed at a county hospital versus a university hospital. If there was no unplanned postoperative visit due to pain, bleeding, or infection, the OR for a better result was 1.6, 95% CI 1.39-1.85.

In this large national cohort of septoplasties, most of the patients felt that their symptoms had gone or almost gone six months after septoplasty. Higher age, surgery at smaller hospitals, and no unplanned visits to the hospital postoperatively predicted a better outcome.