Comparing the Health Burden of Living With Nasal Deformity in Actual Patients and Healthy Individuals

Abstract

Background Rhinoplasty is a one of the most commonly performed facial surgery aiming at restoring facial aesthetics and improving quality of life. Utility outcome scores are modern, and emerging tools are used to evaluate the burden of a health state on individuals. The study aims to evaluate the impact of living with nasal deformity among real patients and healthy individuals using utility outcome scores. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted at Otolaryngology and Plastic Surgery clinics in a tertiary center. Healthy individuals were recruited from public facilities. A case scenario was developed to reflect an imaginary patient (Nora) with a functional and aesthetic nasal deformity and distributed to participants. Three utility outcomes scores were used: visual analog scale (VAS), time trade-off (TTO), and standard gambling (SG). Results A total of 407 adult participants were included. Most participants were female (52%). Healthy individuals comprised 71%, and actual patients comprised 29%. Mean VAS score was 0.77 (ie, participants scored Nora's health state as 77%), TTO score was 0.87 (ie, participants were willing to sacrifice 4 years to have Nora's condition corrected), and SD score was 0.91 (ie, participants were willing to take a 9% risk of death to have Nora's condition corrected). Scores differed among actual patients and healthy individuals (P < 0.0001 for VAS and TTO, P = 0.02 for SG). Conclusion Living with a nasal deformity has a significant impact on quality of life. Both patients and healthy individuals are willing to trade a significant number of years to get the condition corrected.

Societal-Perceived Health Utility of Hypertrophic Facial Port-Wine Stain and Laser Treatment

“… 30 Participants were asked to imagine themselves as the described patients in each health state, as has been done for numerous published health utility studies. 28 , 29 , 31 , 32 …”

“…30 Participants were asked to imagine themselves as the described patients in each health state, as has been done for numerous published health utility studies. 28,29,31,32 The VAS component was administered according to previously published practices, 28,29,31,32 consisting of a continuous sliding scale with death and perfect health anchored at opposite ends (see Supplementary Data-Top Frame Figure, which illustrates the VAS). In this method, participants were asked to rate their perceived health in the given state using a sliding bar scale, consisting of 1-point increments between 0 (death) and 100 (perfect health).…”

A systematic review of direct preference measurements in health states treated with plastic surgery

“…Regarding the selection of participants into the study, preferences were identified from the general public in twenty-eight studies, from students in eight studies, 1 from patients in four studies-valuing conditions that they themselves were inflicted with-and from medical experts in six studies (Table 1). However, since the methods to recruit study participants included advertising the survey on a web site [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26], a newspaper advertisement [27], recruitment in shopping centres [28] and train stations [29], e-mails to university students [16,[18][19][20][21][22]30], and/or employees [31][32][33] a critical bias may have been introduced in the samples. Moreover, there was limited geographical diffusion of the studies, as thirty-one of the studies were conducted in North America and one in the Middle East.…”

“…None of the studies provided detailed information on the reliability and validity of the instruments used. All but three studies [27][28][29] used computer-based administration of the instrument. Few studies have included visual prompts used in their publications.…”

Evaluation of the Kolcaba’s comfort theory combined ERAS care in patients with nasal deformities: study protocol of a randomized controlled trial

“…It involves deviations in the nasal bone, upper and lower lateral cartilages, and the septum from the face's midsagittal plane 2 . Due to both aesthetic and functional concerns, patients with nasal deformities often seek to improve their condition through corrective surgery 3,4 . However, this surgery is associated with various stress reactions and complications, including breathing di culties, pain, sleep disturbances, crusting, nasal bleeding, swallowing di culties, and adhesions 5 .…”