The researchers conducted this study to perform a surgical outcome assessment by examining whether the extent of ETSS approaches affected patient-specific sinonasal quality of life as measured by the SNOT-22.
A single-center prospective cohort study of patients operated on by the same skull base team between 2012 and 2016. Patients with completed pre-and postoperative SNOT-22 were included. The primary outcome was SNOT-22 scores at preoperative, 0–1 month, 2–4 months, >5 months follow-up.
249 ETSS were performed, 148 patients had at least one completed SNOT-22; 45 met the inclusion criteria. Factors such as the extent of ETSS, a previous nasal surgery, repair of an intraoperative cerebral spinal fluid leak, and the tumor pathology did not affect SNOT-22 scores at any follow-up intervals.
The study concluded that sinonasal quality of life worsened after ETSS at 0–1 month follow-up but returned to preoperative levels at 2–4 months and remained at postoperative levels >5 months. Analysis of these data will allow us to educate our patients that the anticipated nasal morbidity after ETSS is usually only transient and should be expected to recover to preoperative levels.
Reference: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.2500/ajra.2018.32.4499
