The role of acoustic rhinometry in the pre- and postoperative evaluation of surgery for nasal obstruction.

This is a prospective study evaluating the role of acoustic rhinometry (AR) in the measurement of nasal patency before and after surgery for nasal obstruction. We examined 27 patients before and 2 to 6 months after septoplasty associated with turbinoplasty, cauterisation of the inferior turbinates, rhinoplasty or uvulopalatopharyngoplasty in some cases. Surgery was performed for subjective nasal obstruction and indication based on symptoms and clinical findings. AR was performed after indication was made. Patients were evaluated for this study by marking subjective global nasal obstruction on a visual analogue scale and by AR before and after decongestion. All patients noted an improvement of subjective nasal patency after surgery. Mean unilateral minimal cross-sectional area (MCA) of the preoperatively narrower side and total MCA both increased but showed wide ranges with also negative results. The total volume of the nasal fossae did not increase. The volume of the preoperatively narrower nasal fossa increased with surgery, but there are enormous ranges. We could not find any correlation between the MCA of the preoperatively narrower side or the total MCA and subjective nasal patency, neither before nor after surgery. The same was the case for the volume of the nasal fossae. In our opinion AR is not a valuable method for the indication or evaluation of surgery for nasal obstruction.