Quality of life of patients with nasal bone fracture after closed reduction

Abstract

Background: Closed reduction is the standard treatment for nasal bone fractures, which are the most common type of facial bone fractures. We investigated the effect of closed reduction on quality of life. Methods: The 15-dimensional health-related quality of life survey was administered to 120 patients who underwent closed reduction under general anesthesia for nasal bone fractures from February 2018 to December 2019, on both the day after surgery and 3 months after surgery. Three months postoperatively, the presence or absence of five nasal symptoms (nose obstruction, snoring, pain, nasal secretions, and aesthetic dissatisfaction) was also evaluated. Results: The quality of life items that showed significant changes between immediately after surgery and 3 months postoperatively were breathing, sleeping, speech, excretion, and discomfort. Low scores were found at 3 months for breathing, sleeping, and distress. There were 31 patients (25.83%) with nose obstruction, 25 (20.83%) with snoring, 12 (10.00%), with pain, 11 (9.17%) with nasal secretions, and 29 (24.17%) with aesthetic dissatisfaction. Conclusion: Closed reduction affected patients’ quality of life, although most aspects improved significantly after 3 months. However, it was not possible to rule out deterioration of quality of life due to complications and dissatisfaction after surgery. ? 2020 Korean Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association.