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Volume: 52 - Issue: 4

First page: 341 - Last page: 347

M. Katotomichelakis - E. Simopoulos - G. Tripsianis - N. Zhang - G. Danielides - P. Gouma - C. Bachert - V. Danielides

BACKGROUND: The effects of smoking on quality of life (QoL) results in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) patients still remain a matter of debate.
OBJECTIVE: Το explore the impact of smoking on QoL and determine how quantity of daily smoking and duration affect QoL results after endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS).
METHODOLOGY: Patients with CRS were prospectively asked to evaluate their QoL pre-and after ESS. All subjects’ QoL was evaluated by means of validated questionnaires either specific (Questionnaire of Olfactory Deficits), for assessing psychology (Zung Anxiety Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Zung Depression Scale and Beck Depression Inventory) or generic (Short Form-36). Smoking habits were expressed in pack-years.
RESULTS: No statistically significant differences were found in the pre-treatment scores in any of the questionnaires between smokers and non smokers. Post-operatively, all QoL questionnaires’ results were significantly improved among both groups, although non smokers exhibited significantly greater improvement compared to smokers. There was a negative impact of the number of pack-years on the changes of QoL results; less improvement was observed as the number of pack-years was increasing.
CONCLUSION: Although smoking did not influence preoperative QoL results and proved not to be a contra-indication factor for ESS regarding QoL, smokers presented worse treatment outcomes. Quantity and duration of smoking were significantly associated with worse postoperative results in all QoL questionnaires.

Rhinology 52-4: 341-347, 2014