A Prospective Study of Outcomes of Septoplasty with Turbinate Reductions in Patients with Allergic Rhinitis

Abstract

Objective Examine outcomes of septoplasty with turbinate reductions in patients with allergic rhinitis as compared to patients without allergic rhinitis using validated outcome and quality-of-life (QOL) instruments. Study Design Prospective observational cohort study. Setting Single surgeon, university hospital. Subjects and Methods Consecutive study-eligible patients with a symptomatic nasal septal deviation, with (n = 30) or without (n = 30) documented allergic rhinitis, were enrolled from March 2014 to February 2017. All patients subsequently underwent nasal septoplasty and inferior turbinate reductions. Outcomes were studied using the Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) scale, mini–Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (mini-RQLQ), and Ease-of-Breathing (EOB) Likert scores completed preoperatively and, together with a patient satisfaction Likert, at 3 and 6 months postoperatively. Results NOSE scores, EOB scores, and mini-RQLQ scores improved significantly in both groups at 3 and 6 months postoperatively. Results were sustained from 3 to 6 months. Although mini-RQLQ scores in allergic patients were higher at all intervals, the magnitude of change in scores in both groups was comparable. Conclusion Although patients with allergic rhinitis report greater allergy-related QOL impairment (mini-RQLQ) on a day-to-day basis than nonallergic patients, this does not appear to attenuate the benefit they might experience from septoplasty and turbinate reductions when indicated for nasal obstruction. Furthermore, the symptomatic relief of their structural nasal obstruction appears to significantly improve their overall allergy-related quality of life. If appropriate expectations are set pre-operatively, allergic rhinitis is neither a contraindication nor a deterrent to septoplasty and turbinate reductions and these patients can reasonably expect a high degree of satisfaction post-operatively.