Nasoseptal Surgery Outcomes in Smokers and Nonsmokers

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Surgical Outcomes
• Respiratory Medicine

Background:

• Surgeons often hesitate to operate on active smokers due to perceived risks.
• Limited data exists on the outcomes of elective nasal surgery in smokers.
• Quantifying risks and benefits in different smoking groups is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare complication and revision rates after nasal surgery between current smokers, previous smokers, and nonsmokers.
• To evaluate the improvement in Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) scores across smoking categories.
• To determine if smoking status impacts surgical outcomes in nasal procedures.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of patients undergoing nasoseptal surgery at a single institution.
• Data collection included demographics, smoking status, surgery type, and pre/postoperative NOSE scores.
• Statistical comparison of complication rates, revision rates, and NOSE score changes among smoking groups.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in complication or revision rates were found among current smokers, previous smokers, and nonsmokers.
• All patient groups, regardless of smoking status, showed significant improvement in NOSE scores post-surgery (p < 0.001).
• Rhinoplasty demonstrated the greatest improvement in NOSE scores (p = 0.044), with no difference in improvement across smoking categories.

Conclusions:

• Active smokers benefit from elective nasal surgery.
• Smokers experience comparable improvements in nasal breathing and similar complication rates to nonsmokers.
• The study supports performing nasal surgery in active smokers who meet surgical indications.