Abstract

To assess the quality of life in patients who has been through the surgical intervention related to nasal septum in ENT department of Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Karachi. This study was done from January 2008 to August 2008. Case based study, with post-interventional quality of life assessment questionnaire. One hundred patients undergoing nasal septum related surgery, after their full informed and written consent, were included in this study. The age limit was above 18 years and both the sexes were included. They were given a questionnaire (Glasgow benefit inventory score-GBI) to be fulfilled on the first follow up day after a week’s time from the day of surgery and then subsequently on the second visit that is, at about two week’s time from their first visit and the last one after the lapse of 1 month from the time of second visit. Average score of patients as per the GBI on the first follow up visit was 17; on second subsequent visit was 39 and on the last visit it was 50 thereby showing a positive correlation between the improvement in quality of life and septal surgery. Septal surgery has a definite and positive impact on improving the health related quality of life of patients.

Key words: Quality of life (QOL) after surgery, outcome assessments.