Septoplasty: defining a desirable clinical outcome according to baseline symptom scores

ObjectiveThe results of septoplasty are usually reported as statistically significant improvements in baseline scores, but these may be difficult to interpret clinically. A measure called the desirable clinically important difference (DCID) has been developed to serve as a guideline to assist in cli...

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Main Authors: Rolf Haye, Liv Kari Døsen, Magnus TarAngen, Caryl Gay, Are Hugo Pripp, Olga Shiryaeva
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-02-01
Series:Frontiers in Surgery
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsurg.2025.1471526/full
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author Rolf Haye
Rolf Haye
Liv Kari Døsen
Magnus TarAngen
Caryl Gay
Are Hugo Pripp
Olga Shiryaeva
author_facet Rolf Haye
Rolf Haye
Liv Kari Døsen
Magnus TarAngen
Caryl Gay
Are Hugo Pripp
Olga Shiryaeva
author_sort Rolf Haye
collection DOAJ
description ObjectiveThe results of septoplasty are usually reported as statistically significant improvements in baseline scores, but these may be difficult to interpret clinically. A measure called the desirable clinically important difference (DCID) has been developed to serve as a guideline to assist in clinically interpreting improvement in scores. So far, DCID has only been calculated for whole cohorts. As individual patients have different baseline and improvement scores, such measures are not helpful to individuals. Our aim was to establish a DCID according to baseline scores, which should help assess individual results.MethodsPatients (n = 934) rated their nasal obstruction using a visual analog scale (VAS) preoperatively and 6 months postoperatively. A global rating of outcome (categorized as completely, much, or somewhat improved, unchanged, or worse) served as the anchor for postoperative evaluation. The improvement in VAS score corresponding to the “much improved” rating was defined as the borderline value between “much” and “somewhat improved.” Receiver operating characteristics were used to establish this borderline value. The DCID is the difference between the borderline and baseline VAS scores. The relative DCID is calculated by dividing the numeric DCID by the baseline VAS score. The cohort was divided into three subgroups (moderate, severe, very severe) according to preoperative severity of nasal obstruction (VAS score) for assessing the relation between DCID and baseline obstruction severity.ResultsThe DCID increased with increasing severity of baseline nasal obstruction: 27.5 (moderate), 44.5 (severe), and 56.0 (very severe), as did the relative DCID: 49.6% (moderate), 56.8% (severe), and 61.3% (very severe).ConclusionThe relative DCID can be a guide for assessing improvement following septoplasty according to baseline scores of nasal obstruction and for planning surgery. A 49% improvement from baseline is indicative of clinical success for a patient with moderately obstructed nasal breathing, whereas patients with very severe obstruction require a 61% improvement.
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spelling doaj-art-6184c36894104f1cb44f00a5bbfae1f72025-02-12T07:25:57ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Surgery2296-875X2025-02-011210.3389/fsurg.2025.14715261471526Septoplasty: defining a desirable clinical outcome according to baseline symptom scoresRolf Haye0Rolf Haye1Liv Kari Døsen2Magnus TarAngen3Caryl Gay4Are Hugo Pripp5Olga Shiryaeva6Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Lovisenberg Diaconal Hospital, Oslo, NorwayDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Rikshospitalet, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, NorwayDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Lovisenberg Diaconal Hospital, Oslo, NorwayDepartment of Research, Lovisenberg Diaconal Hospital, Oslo, NorwayDepartment of Research, Lovisenberg Diaconal Hospital, Oslo, NorwayOslo Center of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Research Support Services, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, NorwayDepartment of Patient Safety and Research, Lovisenberg Diaconal Hospital, Oslo, NorwayObjectiveThe results of septoplasty are usually reported as statistically significant improvements in baseline scores, but these may be difficult to interpret clinically. A measure called the desirable clinically important difference (DCID) has been developed to serve as a guideline to assist in clinically interpreting improvement in scores. So far, DCID has only been calculated for whole cohorts. As individual patients have different baseline and improvement scores, such measures are not helpful to individuals. Our aim was to establish a DCID according to baseline scores, which should help assess individual results.MethodsPatients (n = 934) rated their nasal obstruction using a visual analog scale (VAS) preoperatively and 6 months postoperatively. A global rating of outcome (categorized as completely, much, or somewhat improved, unchanged, or worse) served as the anchor for postoperative evaluation. The improvement in VAS score corresponding to the “much improved” rating was defined as the borderline value between “much” and “somewhat improved.” Receiver operating characteristics were used to establish this borderline value. The DCID is the difference between the borderline and baseline VAS scores. The relative DCID is calculated by dividing the numeric DCID by the baseline VAS score. The cohort was divided into three subgroups (moderate, severe, very severe) according to preoperative severity of nasal obstruction (VAS score) for assessing the relation between DCID and baseline obstruction severity.ResultsThe DCID increased with increasing severity of baseline nasal obstruction: 27.5 (moderate), 44.5 (severe), and 56.0 (very severe), as did the relative DCID: 49.6% (moderate), 56.8% (severe), and 61.3% (very severe).ConclusionThe relative DCID can be a guide for assessing improvement following septoplasty according to baseline scores of nasal obstruction and for planning surgery. A 49% improvement from baseline is indicative of clinical success for a patient with moderately obstructed nasal breathing, whereas patients with very severe obstruction require a 61% improvement.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsurg.2025.1471526/fullpatient outcome assessmentnasal surgical procedurenasal obstructionclinical auditROC curve
spellingShingle Rolf Haye
Rolf Haye
Liv Kari Døsen
Magnus TarAngen
Caryl Gay
Are Hugo Pripp
Olga Shiryaeva
Septoplasty: defining a desirable clinical outcome according to baseline symptom scores
Frontiers in Surgery
patient outcome assessment
nasal surgical procedure
nasal obstruction
clinical audit
ROC curve
title Septoplasty: defining a desirable clinical outcome according to baseline symptom scores
title_full Septoplasty: defining a desirable clinical outcome according to baseline symptom scores
title_fullStr Septoplasty: defining a desirable clinical outcome according to baseline symptom scores
title_full_unstemmed Septoplasty: defining a desirable clinical outcome according to baseline symptom scores
title_short Septoplasty: defining a desirable clinical outcome according to baseline symptom scores
title_sort septoplasty defining a desirable clinical outcome according to baseline symptom scores
topic patient outcome assessment
nasal surgical procedure
nasal obstruction
clinical audit
ROC curve
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsurg.2025.1471526/full
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