Disease-Specific Vs Non-Specific Questionnaires on Septoplasty Outcomes

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Quality of Life Research
• Medical Outcomes Measurement

Background:

• Septoplasty is a common ENT surgery, but its impact on non-nasal symptoms and overall quality of life (QoL) remains debated.
• Validated questionnaires are crucial for assessing surgical outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the outcomes of septoplasty using a disease-specific questionnaire (SNOT-22) versus a general QoL questionnaire (SF-36v2).
• To evaluate the differences in patient-reported outcomes after septoplasty.

Main Methods:

• 50 patients completed the SNOT-22 and SF-36v2 questionnaires preoperatively and 6 months post-surgery.
• Outcomes were analyzed by comparing pre- and post-operative scores and variations against the Minimal Important Difference (MID).

Main Results:

• SNOT-22 scores showed significant improvement across all domains and the total score.
• SF-36v2 demonstrated significant improvements in mental health domains but limited changes in physical domains.
• 74% of patients exceeding the MID for SNOT-22 also showed significant improvements in multiple SF-36v2 domains.

Conclusions:

• Disease-specific questionnaires like SNOT-22 effectively capture septoplasty benefits for most patients.
• General QoL measures (SF-36v2) showed less pronounced improvements, particularly in physical health, questioning the broad impact of septoplasty on general health.