Predictive factors of a beneficial quality of life outcome in patients undergoing primary sinonasal surgery: a population-based prospective cohort study

Purpose To assess predictive factors of a beneficial quality of life (QoL) outcome after primary sinonasal surgery. Methods A population-based prospective cohort study among 160 adult patients undergoing primary sinonasal surgery (76 septoplasties, SP; 84 endoscopic sinus surgeries, ESS) was conducted. We collected QoL data using the Sinonasal Outcome Test-22 (SNOT-22) before and after surgery. A beneficial QoL outcome was defined as a SNOT-22 score change ≥ 9 points 12 months after surgery. Various demographic, clinical and symptom-related factors predicting a beneficial QoL outcome were sought using binary logistic regression analysis. Results The mean age of the patients was 39 years (range 18–61) and 82 (51%) were males. The SNOT-22 score change varied markedly after SP (range − 17 to + 80) and ESS (range − 20 to + 58), but on average it improved (median + 15 after SP and + 16 after ESS). 41 patients (64%) achieved beneficial QoL outcome after SP and 46 (66%) after ESS. In a multivariate analysis, poor QoL before surgery (preoperative SNOT-22 ≥ 20 points) predicted a beneficial QoL outcome after SP and ESS (adjusted odds ratio 10; 95% confidence interval 1.6–64 and 12; 2.5–55, respectively) and a senior surgeon operating after SP (9.9; 1.5–67). On receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the integer threshold value for the preoperative SNOT-22 score that gave the highest sensitivity (74%) and specificity (70%) was 30. Conclusions QoL change after primary SP and ESS varies. A preoperative SNOT-22 score of at least 30 best predicted a beneficial QoL outcome after both procedures.