Disease-Specific Improvements Predict Long-Term Global Quality of Life After Functional Rhinoplasty

Functional rhinoplasty can improve disease-specific quality of life (QoL) domains. However, less is understood about its association with global health-related QoL outcomes. The goal of this study is to evaluate the relationship between disease-specific and long-term global QoL outcomes following functional rhinoplasty.

Prospective cohort study at a tertiary medical center of patients undergoing functional rhinoplasty for nasal airway obstruction.

Fifty patients (58% female, 42% male), with a mean age of 38.5 (StD 14.7), were surveyed. Baseline and long term (> 6 months) follow up Euroqol-5D (EQ-5D) and Standard Cosmesis and Health Nasal Outcomes Survey (SCHNOS) questionnaires were collected. Mean baseline SCHNOS-Obstructive (SCHNOS-O) score improved from 77.5 (95% CI: 71.5-83.5) to 22.7 (95% CI: 14.4-31.1) at follow up. Mean SCHNOS-Cosmesis (SCHNOS-C) score improved from 44.9 (95% CI: 33.9-56.0) to 13.9 (95% CI: 8.9-21.1). A higher SCHNOS-O is a significant predictor for expressing pain/discomfort at follow up (p = 0.011). A higher SCHNOS-C is a significant predictor for expressing anxiety/depression at follow up (p = 0.019). There is no relationship between SCHNOS-O/SCHNOS-C and mobility, self-care, or activity. A greater improvement in SCHNOS-O is associated with less anxiety/depression (p = 0.03) and pain/discomfort (p = 0.02) at follow up. However, a greater improvement in SCHNOS-C is not significantly associated with anxiety/depression (p = 0.678) or pain/discomfort (p = 0.558) at follow up. Patients who expressed anxiety/depression at baseline are more likely to express anxiety/depression at follow up.

Patients with long-term improvements in nasal obstruction, but not cosmesis, are less likely to report long-term anxiety/depression and pain/discomfort following functional rhinoplasty.