Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 15, 2026
Endoscopic Septoplasty with Limited Two-line Resection: Minimally Invasive Surgery for Septal Deviation
Published on: June 20, 2018
Durability of Quality-of-Life Improvements Following Pediatric Septorhinoplasty
Ethan Frank1,2, Courtney Osowski1, Raquel Good1
1Division of Pediatric Otolaryngology, Rady Children's Hospital, San Diego, 92123, California, USA.
Insights
Pediatric septal surgery significantly improves quality of life, with benefits sustained for at least one year. Prior nasal surgery history may impact long-term outcomes in children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Otolaryngology
- Quality of Life Research
- Surgical Outcomes
Background:
- Septoplasty and septorhinoplasty are common surgical procedures in children.
- Assessing the long-term impact of these surgeries on pediatric quality of life is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the durability of quality-of-life improvements following septoplasty and septorhinoplasty in pediatric patients.
- To identify factors influencing surgical outcomes in this population.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study enrolling 422 pediatric patients undergoing septal surgery.
- Validated quality-of-life surveys, including Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) and Sinonasal-5 (SN-5), were administered preoperatively and postoperatively at multiple time points up to 1 year.
- Demographic data and surgical history were collected.
Main Results:
- Significant improvements in NOSE and SN-5 scores were observed at all follow-up points up to 12 months.
- Improvements were sustained beyond 1 year in a subset of patients (average follow-up 30 months).
- A history of prior nasal surgery was associated with poorer outcomes at 1-year follow-up.
Conclusions:
- Quality-of-life improvements after pediatric septal surgery are durable and sustained for at least one year.
- These findings support the efficacy of septal surgery in enhancing pediatric well-being.
Objective:
To assess the durability of improvements in validated quality-of-life measures in children undergoing septoplasty and septorhinoplasty.
Study Design:
Prospective enrollment of consecutive patients undergoing evaluation for surgery.
Setting:
Academic, free-standing children's hospital.
Methods:
Data collected included preoperative and postoperative scores for validated surveys: Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) and Sinonasal-5 (SN-5) (consisting of a numeric Likert score and a Visual Analog Scale [VAS] score) at all follow up appointments. Existing database was reviewed for demographics, confounding preoperative diagnoses, and surgery performed.
Results:
Four hundred and twenty-two patients were surveyed. NOSE scores decreased from 67 preoperatively to 16, 13, 16, and 23 at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery, respectively. Sinonasal-5 Likert scores decreased from 3.4 at baseline to 1.9, 1.6, 1.6, and 2.0 at the same timepoints and the SN-5 VAS scores increased from 5 prior to surgery to 9 at 1 to 6 months after surgery and 8 at 1-year. The only statistically significant predictor of poorer outcomes was a prior history of nasal surgery-which resulted in lower NOSE and SN-5 Likert scores at 1-year and lower SN-5 VAS scores at 6 and 12 months postoperative. Limited data (n = 24) for follow-up beyond 1 year showed sustained improvement in all measures-NOSE 32, SN-5 Likert 2.5, and SN-5 VAS 8-out to an average of 30 months.
Conclusion:
Improvements in quality-of-life metrics after pediatric septal surgery are sustained to at least 1 year after surgery.
Related Concept Videos
01:29Suctioning the Nasopharyngeal Airway
Equipment Required
01:30Epistaxis
Etiology
Possible causes of this condition include high blood pressure, trauma, low humidity, upper respiratory tract infections, allergies, foreign bodies, nasal inhalation of corticosteroids or illicit drugs, excessive use of decongestant nasal sprays, facial or nasal surgery, anatomic malformation, tumors, or systemic...
01:29Administering Oxygen by Nasal Cannula
Nasal Cannulas
A nasal cannula is a lightweight tube split into two prongs placed in the nostrils,...