Preoperative Incidence of Olfactory Dysfunction in Nasal Surgery Patients

Objective. Learn the incidence of olfactory dysfunction in preoperative patients prior to nasal surgery and compare with a control group of patients who are not going to have such surgery. Assess the usefulness of the coffee/tea differentiation test in assessing preoperative dysosmia. Study Design. Prospective controlled cohort study. Setting. Urban medical center. Subjects and Methods. One hundred fifty-one adult patients (aged 18-65 years) whose olfactory function was tested using the Pocket Smell Test and a coffee/tea differentiation test. A failed test required missing at least 1 item on the card or failure to report a difference between tea and coffee. The statistical analysis using the t test and the Fisher exact test were calculated using MINITAB. Results. The study group (n = 55) had 38% men and 62% women compared with 58% men and 42% women in the control group (n = 96). The incidence of dysosmia was 32% in the study group and 14% in the control group. In the study group, 34.5% of patients failed the Pocket Smell Test and 12.4% failed the coffee/tea differentiation test as compared with 12.4% and 0%, respectively, in the control group. Conclusion. Patients who are scheduled for nasal surgery for medical or cosmetic indications are more likely to suffer from olfactory dysfunction before surgical intervention. This should be taken into consideration when counseling patients regarding possible postoperative complications.