Quality of life after septorhinoplasty measured with the Functional Rhinoplasty Outcome Inventory 17 (FROI-17).

BACKGROUND

Quality of life measurements in septorhinoplasty patients so far have taken place only to a small extent. The aim of the present study was a prospective measurement of disease-specific quality of life with a newly developed and validated instrument, the Functional Rhinoplasty Outcome Inventory 17 (FROI-17).

METHODS

The patients completed the FROI-17 and the Rhinoplasty Outcome Evaluation (ROE) as disease-specific instruments preoperatively as well as 12 months postoperatively. As a general instrument, the Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) was used. Furthermore, additional general questions were answered at both time points.

RESULTS

Out of the 103 patients, 69 patients (32 men, 37 women) responded after 12 months (response rate 67%). Thirteen patients (18%) were not satisfied with the result of surgery. However, all scales of FROI-17 and also ROE showed a significant postoperative improvement of subjective assessments by the patients. In the SF-36, this was true in 2 out of 8 scales (mental health and role-functioning physical). Furthermore, we found significant correlations between the FROI-17 and the SF-36 scales but not between the ROE and the SF-36 scales.

CONCLUSION

The disease-specific quality of life was significantly improved by septorhinoplasty. FROI-17 scales detect more functional aspects compared with the ROE thus establishing significant correlations with general quality of life measured by SF-36. The application of both FROI-17 and ROE in future clinical trials in septorhinoplasty patients is recommended.