Subsequent Quality Of Life Research Articles

Modeling the effect of health antecedents and social media engagement on healthy eating and quality of life

ABSTRACTHealthy eating is an important health-promoting behavior and maintenance of this behavior has repercussions for long-term quality of life (QoL). Given that psychographic factors are important predictors of engaging in health-promoting behaviors and social media can aid in developing self-regulation skills, the purpose of this study was to model the impact of (1) health consciousness and attitude, and (2) health disclosure and engagement with social media, on healthy eating intention. Furthermore, the impact of intention was examined on healthy eating maintenance and subsequent QoL. Five hundred and thirty-two U.S. adults completed quantitative assessments of health consciousness, attitude, social media health disclosure and engagement, healthy eating intention and maintenance, and QoL. Findings showed that beliefs, attitude, and social media engagement with respect to healthy eating significantly predicted behavioral intention and subsequently healthy eating maintenance and QoL. Theoretical contributions and implications for public health interventions are discussed.

Hair loss: A review of the role of food bioactive compounds

Background: The impact that hair loss has on an individual's psychological wellness, and subsequent quality of life, is widespread and long lasting. The current standard treatments for hair loss include surgery and medications, ranging from over-the-counter treatments to corticosteroid injections and immunosuppressants. Unfortunately, these current treatments are either expensive, invasive, or have extremely negative side effects. Recently, the role of vitamins, minerals, and functional foods with their associated bioactive compounds, have gained increasing recognition as a potential means to address this issue. Some of these compounds have been shown to decrease the risk of specific forms of hair loss, particularly alopecia, a form of balding that results due from an autoimmune disorder. These include experimental studies using black raspberry extract and egg yolks as well as epidemiological studies using Mediterranean diets and various micronutrients. Other compounds have been shown to promote hair growth on a more general scale, including in vivo studies using rice bran extract and mouse models using red ginseng oil and annurca apple polyphenols. This review identifies key hair growth promoting vitamins, minerals, and functional foods, as well as summarizes the relevant mechanisms of action of these compounds that have been elucidated. Knowledge regarding the effects of these nutriceuticals on reducing hair loss is rapidly expanding. However, it is imperative that further research be done in order to delineate mechanisms of actions for all compounds related to managing and treating hair loss and subsequently integrate these dietary modifications into clinical treatment recommendations for hair loss.Keywords: Hair loss, alopecia, berry extract, mediterranean diet, rice bran, ginseng, annurca apple, thuja orientalis, marine supplement, honey, egg yolk, functional foods, bioactive compounds

A Palatal Speech Bulb—A Case Study

Palatal defects of the oral cavity can be either congenital or acquired following trauma or surgical excision of malignant disease. Palatal defects can greatly affect function and subsequent quality of life. Rehabilitation using a removable obturator can be a preferable treatment option as it allows regular review post-surgery. This case study reports on the design and construction of a removable “speech bulb” obturator. A 50-year-old female patient presented complaining of nasal regurgitation and looseness of her current palatal obturator. She had previously undergone wide surgical excision of her soft palate under general anaesthesia due to adenoid cystic carcinoma. Treatment consisted of the provision of a new removable obturator, paying careful attention to the design of the “speech bulb” itself. The design of the “speech bulb” is crucial to optimise function, and the method of prosthesis fabrication is fully described. This case highlights the impact of obturator fit on a patient’s quality of life and will be of benefit to clinicians from many disciplines including dentists, oral and maxillofacial surgeons, Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) surgeons and speech and language therapists.

Measuring and assessing risk of quality of life loss following a road traffic injury: A proposed methodology for use of a composite score

IntroductionAssessments of the impact of road traffic injuries (RTIs) on quality of life (QoL) can benefit from the use of combined characteristics of the injurious event. AimThe burden of having sustained a RTI was computed using a composite score that comprised three elements (i.e. number of injuries sustained in the crash, body parts affected, and severity of the injuries) that relate to the probability of subsequent long-term QoL lost by individuals 1–4 years after the crash. MethodologyThe QoL of injured victims aged 11–90 years that crashed in Sweden between 2007 and 2009 was compared with that of a random sample of non-injured individuals frequency-matched by sex and age. Injury information to build the composite score was obtained from a national register that contains data on the number of injuries, their severity, and the body parts affected. The QoL was assessed in 2010 for both injured and non-injured individuals using the standardized Euro Quality of Life questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to investigate whether the composite score was predictive of low QoL (<90% of the mean of non-injured referents) adjusting for sex, age, and time elapsed since the injury occurrence. The composite score was grouped into five exposure categories (0.01–1, 1.01–1.5, 1.51–2, 2.01–3 and 3.01–9 units). ResultsCompared with the non-injured reference group, all exposure categories showed statistically significant increased adjusted ORs for low QoL ranging from 2.35 (95% CI 1.48–3.72) in the 0.01–1.00 lowest injury category to 6.10 (95% CI 3.65–10.2) in the highest 3.01–9.00 with a slightly decreasing plateau in the intermediate categories (point ORs between 3.86 and 3.06). Yet, all 95% CIs across the exposure categories overlapped. ConclusionLong-term reduction in QoL is a burden experienced by the victims of mild to severe RTCs. The proposed composite score can be an initial step in the development of more elaborated instruments that can be useful in policy making and regulation.

Influencing Pathways to Quality of Life and HbA1c in Patients With Diabetes: A Longitudinal Study That Inform Evidence-Based Practice.

Determining possible associated factors and the influencing pathways to hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) levels and quality of life (QoL) will facilitate the development of effective interventions to improve the physical and psychosocial health of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). To test a hypothesized model that addressed the pathways among personal characteristics, social support, diabetes distress, and self-care behaviors to HbA1C and QoL. A total of 382 adults with T2DM were recruited. Self-reported questionnaires and medical records were used to collect data regarding personal characteristics, diabetes distress, and social support at baseline. The self-care behaviors characters were collected 6 months later, as well as QoL and HbA1C levels 1 year later. The 12-month QoL directly affected 12-month HbA1C levels. The 6-month self-care behaviors directly affected 12-month QoL, and indirectly affected 12-month HbA1C levels through 12-month QoL. Baseline diabetes distress directly affected 12-month QoL. Moreover, baseline diabetes distress indirectly affected 12-month HbA1C levels through 12-month QoL. Baseline social support directly affected baseline diabetes distress and 6-month self-care behaviors. In addition, baseline social support indirectly affected 12-month QoL through baseline diabetes distress. Baseline social support also indirectly affected 12-month QoL through 6-month self-care behaviors. Enhancing QoL is important to improve HbA1C levels. Enhancing self-care behaviors is essential to improve subsequent HbA1C control and QoL. Reducing diabetes distress is crucial to improve subsequent QoL. Improving social support is suggested a favorable strategy to reduce diabetes distress and enhance subsequent self-care behaviors in patients with T2DM.

A Survey of the Factors of Influence and Interventional Strategies for Breast Cancer Survivors' Transition Care Across Multiple Theoretical Perspectives

Breast cancer significantly threatens the life of women, while the adverse effects of cancer treatment degrade quality of life and psychological well-being. The quality of transitional care following the completion of treatment significantly affects the ability of breast cancer patients to transition successfully into survivorship. This paper introduces multiple theoretical perspectives and provides an overview of the tenets of each in order to identify the positions of breast cancer survivors and to highlight the factors and strategies that influence their transitional care. The theoretical perspectives that are introduced include the social-ecological model, transition theory, and the strengths perspective. In order to improve the holistic care of women with breast cancer, factors relevant to transition are categorized into the individual, interpersonal, organizational, community, and policy levels. Furthermore, empirical interventions, which are based on the respective advantages of the various levels of the social-ecological model, are proposed in order to conform to the sociocultural context and clinical practices. Healthcare providers should leverage the strengths and resources at each level to develop feasible strategies and to provide quality of care in order to assist breast cancer patients to transition successfully from treatment to survivorship and to holistically improve their subsequent quality of life and function.

Highlights of This Issue

There is a clinical need for an improved approach for longitudinal noninvasive monitoring of the tumor burden in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Schøler and colleagues studied 371 plasma samples from 45 patients. Longitudinal samples revealed that postoperative ctDNA detection provides evidence of residual disease and identifies patients at very high risk of relapse. Furthermore, longitudinal surveillance enables early detection of relapse and informs about response to intervention. This work provides predictors of clinical outcome in CRC and has promising implications for personalized patient management during postsurgery follow-up.A high incidence of tumor metastasis poses a threat to the patient's survival; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms are largely unknown. Pang and colleagues characterize RCC2, a novel metastasis-related gene, and its role in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). They show that RCC2 is significantly associated with metastasis and could be an independent prognostic factor for LUAD. Furthermore, a series of in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrate that RCC2 can promote LUAD metastasis by inducing EMT via MAPK-JNK signaling. These findings offer novel insight about LUAD that may be beneficial to identify effective treatments against lung cancer.Accurate delineation of tumor margin is crucial for maximizing the efficacy of surgical treatment and the patient's subsequent quality of life. To achieve this, Lu and colleagues investigated the feasibility of using quantitative hyperspectral imaging (HSI) combined with machine learning-based tools as a diagnostic tool to delineate the cancer boundaries in surgical specimens of human patients with head and neck cancers (HNC). This study demonstrates the application of quantitative HSI as a sensitive and specific diagnostic tool for the detection and delineation of HNC in a wide variety of anatomic sites, which could be translated into the clinic application with the hope of improving clinical outcomes in the future.Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) are epigenome-targeting anticancer therapeutics for certain cancers; however, there is currently no clear strategy to reliably predict HDACi sensitivity. Chüeh and colleagues identify a novel mechanism by which HDACi induce apoptosis in tumor cells through induction of the ATF3 transcription factor and subsequent repression of BCLXL. This mechanism transcends tumor type, is measurable in patient samples in vivo, and defines the basis for sensitivity or resistance to HDACi. These findings establish a strategy for overcoming inherent resistance to HDACi by rational combination with BCL-XL inhibitors and define a framework for the identification of biomarkers predictive of HDACi response, including rapid assessment of ATF3 induction. Additionally, they have the potential to directly impact the clinical use of HDACi for the approved indications of CTCL and multiple myeloma, and for their ongoing clinical development in multiple malignancies.

관광개발영향이 지역주민 삶의 질에 미치는 영향

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of tourism development on perceptions by residents of the quality of life in the South Kangwon region. According to social exchange theory, as the residents feel the impact of tourism development, they benefit through an improved quality of life. To this end, onsite surveys were conducted on residents living in the South Kangwon region. The results of this study show that the positive economic impact, the positive social &amp; cultural impact, and the positive environmental impact had a positive significant effect throughout the region. However, a negative economic impact had negative significant effects as well. A negative social, cultural, and environmental impact had no significant effect. The benefit caused positive significant effects on the quality of life. Also, the benefit was found to be a mediating factor connecting the tourism impact and the subsequent quality of life. The findings of this study confirm that positive and negative economic impacts are the most important factors affecting quality of life in the South Kangwon region. This study implies that the benefit plays an important role in mediating the impact of tourism development on the quality of life.

Does substantiated childhood maltreatment lead to poor quality of life in young adulthood? Evidence from an Australian birth cohort study.

To examine the independent effect of single and multiple forms of substantiated childhood maltreatment (CM) on quality of life (QoL), controlling for selected potential confounders and/or covariates, and concurrent depressive symptoms. We used data from a prospective pre-birth cohort of 8556 mothers recruited consecutively during their first antenatal clinic visit at the Mater Hospital from 1981 to 1983 in Brisbane, Australia. The data were linked to substantiated cases of CM reported to the child protection government agency up to the age of 14 years. The sample consisted of 3730 (49.7% female) young adults for whom there were complete data on QoL at the 21-year follow-up. The mean age of participants was 20.6 years. Logistic regression models were used to assess the association between CM and QoL measured at the 21-year follow-up. There were statistically significant associations between exposure to substantiated CM and poorer QoL. This also applied to the subcategories of childhood physical abuse, childhood emotional abuse (CEA), and neglect. These associations were generally stable after adjusting for confounders/covariates and concurrent depressive symptoms, except physical abuse. CEA with or without neglect significantly and particularly predicted worse subsequent QoL. Exposure to any substantiated maltreatment substantially contributed to worse QoL in young adulthood, with a particular association with CEA and neglect. Prior experiences of CM may have a substantial association with subsequent poorer QoL.

Эффективность и безопасность новых оральных антикоагулянтов в профилактике венозного тромбоэмболизма после ортопедических операций и их влияние на последующее качество жизни больных

Эффективность и безопасность новых оральных антикоагулянтов в профилактике венозного тромбоэмболизма после ортопедических операций и их влияние на последующее качество жизни больных

The psychological and psychosocial effects of head and neck cancer

A diagnosis of head and neck cancer can be physically and emotionally debilitating. The condition and its treatment can affect breathing, eating and communicating, and change physical appearance. Head and neck cancer can have profound effects on psychological and psychosocial well-being and subsequent quality of life. Each person with a facial disfigurement adjusts and adapts to their altered appearance differently – some require little psychological support but others develop depression and anxiety, and become socially isolated. Effective and appropriate psychological and psychosocial care and interventions improve long-term quality of life and well-being for people with head and neck cancer.This article reviews the literature, based on UK research since 1995 on the psychological and psychosocial effects of facial disfigurement caused by head and neck cancer, including body image and intimacy issues. It discusses how nurses can help to improve people's quality of life, social functioning and encounters, as well as their psychological well-being.

Head and neck cancer.

A diagnosis of head and neck cancer can be physically and emotionally debilitating. The condition and its treatment can affect breathing, eating and communicating, and change physical appearance. Head and neck cancer can have profound effects on psychological and psychosocial well-being and subsequent quality of life.

Cardioversion and subsequent quality of life and natural history of atrial fibrillation

Using the nationwide prospective ORBIT-AF registry, cardioversion patients were propensity matched 3:1 to noncardioverted patients and Cox proportional hazards modeling evaluated hospitalization at 1 year in those with and without cardioversion. Cardiovascular outcomes, AF progression, and quality of life were evaluated for the matched cohorts with and without cardioversion. Among 9,642 patients, 817 patients (8%) underwent 906 cardioversions during a median follow-up of 12 (interquartile range 6-18) months. Among matched cardioverted and noncardioverted patients, 1-year cardiovascular hospitalization rates were 43% vs 21% (adjusted hazard ratio 2.2, 95% CI 1.8-2.8, P<.001), and sinus rhythm at both first and second follow-ups was 36% vs 27% (P=.042), respectively. Findings were similar among first-time cardioversion patients. Matched cardioversion patients did not exhibit greater symptom improvement (34% vs 42%) or less symptomatic progression (15% vs 4%) by European Heart Rhythm Association scores. Cardioversion was associated with AF progression with an odds ratio of 1.6 (95% CI 1.2-2.2, P=.001) after cardioversion and 2.7 (P<.001) after first cardioversion vs matched noncardioversion patients. After cardioversion, only 18% of patients not previously on an antiarrhythmic started one, less than 5% underwent ablation, and 22% stopped their antiarrhythmic. Cardioversion was not associated with improved AF-related quality of life or less progression. Many patients who undergo cardioversion do not receive adjunctive rhythm control therapies. These findings may help to better inform therapeutic decision making.

European Society of Cardiology/European Atherosclerosis Society Task Force consensus statement on proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitors: practical guidance for use in patients at very high cardiovascular risk.

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) underlies the thrombotic events intimately associated with myocardial infarction, a significant proportion of ischaemic strokes, as well as critical limb ischaemia. Such events confer substantial mortality, physical and/or mental disability, and cost for the individual and society.1 Indeed, no finite value can be attributed to the cost to the individual, although survival and subsequent quality of life are critical factors, especially in young individuals with ASCVD.2 Although the advent of precision medicine and innovative treatments have been the driver for an individualized approach to patient management and prevention, the ever-increasing financial restraints in healthcare systems worldwide often require clinical benefit to be balanced with the cost of a given intervention. The causality of plasma low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) and reduced LDL receptor-mediated LDL uptake in the pathophysiology of ASCVD has been established beyond any reasonable doubt.3 For patients at very high risk of premature ASCVD, including those with familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) without ASCVD, elevated LDL-C is a common risk factor.4,5 Indeed, high LDL-C levels are prevalent in both FH and non-FH patients in the acute secondary prevention setting.6 In the case of the latter, polygenic effects may account for an elevated LDL-C concentration as reflected by genetic risk scores.7 The key clinical issue is attainment of guideline-recommended LDL-C levels (<1.8 mmol/L or 70 mg/dL) for patients at very high cardiovascular risk.4 Even with high-intensity statin treatment, a substantial proportion of these patients will remain above this LDL-C goal due to <50% lowering of LDL-C levels, in part as result of pharmacogenetic effects that underlie wide inter-individual variability in statin response.8 This eventuality emphasizes the need for additional LDL-C reduction with new therapeutic approaches which target these atherogenic particles. Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9), a member of the serine …

Sarcopenia Screened With SARC-F Questionnaire Is Associated With Quality of Life and 4-Year Mortality

ObjectivesThere is no gold standard in diagnosing sarcopenia. We aimed to assess the validity of screening sarcopenia using SARC-F (sluggishness, assistance in walking, rise from a chair, climb stairs, falls). DesignProspective cohort study. SettingCommunity hospital in Taiwan. ParticipantsCommunity-dwelling senior citizens. MeasurementsParticipants were interviewed with a structured questionnaire annually. The questionnaire items were recoded into the 5 items of SARC-F (sluggishness, assistance in walking, rise from a chair, climb stairs, falls). In the baseline year, a subgroup was tested for grip strength and body composition. Healthcare utilization and mortality were based on self-report and hospital records. Our main outcome was 4-year mortality. Secondary outcomes included hospitalization, emergency care use, and quality of life (QOL) measured using the CASP-12 scale (control, autonomy, self-realization, pleasure (control, autonomy, self-realization, pressure). ResultsThere were 670 participants. The mean age was 76.1 (standard deviation 6.36). One-half were men (n = 340, 50.7%). The prevalence of sarcopenia was 6.1% (n = 41). SARC-F scores were inversely associated with grip strength (P = .001) and skeletal muscle composition (P = .045). Participants with sarcopenia were mostly women (P = .005) and older (P < .001). In univariate analysis, sarcopenia was associated with 1- to 4-year mortalities (P = .033, .001, .001, <.001, respectively), overall hospitalization (P = .004), overall emergency care use (P = .017), and QOL (P < .001). In multivariate model, sarcopenia [odds ratio (OR) 7.35, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.67-20.18], age (OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.09-1.29 for each year), and taking vitamin D supplements (OR 0.29, 95% CI 0.11-0.74) were factors associated with mortality. ConclusionsSarcopenia screened using SARC-F was associated with subsequent QOL, overall hospitalization, overall emergency care use, and 4-year mortality. SARC-F can serve as a quick screening tool of sarcopenia.

General antibiotic exposure is associated with increased risk of developing chronic rhinosinusitis.

Antibiotic use and chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) have been independently associated with microbiome diversity depletion and opportunistic infections. This study was undertaken to investigate whether antibiotic use may be an unrecognized risk factor for developing CRS. Case-control study of 1,162 patients referred to a tertiary sinus center for a range of sinonasal disorders. Patients diagnosed with CRS according to established consensus criteria (n = 410) were assigned to the case group (273 without nasal polyps [CRSsNP], 137 with nasal polyps [CRSwNP]). Patients with all other diagnoses (n = 752) were assigned to the control group. Chronic rhinosinusitis disease severity was determined using a validated quality of life (QOL) instrument. The class, diagnosis, and timing of previous nonsinusitis-related antibiotic exposures were recorded. Results were validated using a randomized administrative data review of 452 (38.9%) of patient charts. The odds ratio of developing CRS following antibiotic exposure were calculated, as well as the impact of antibiotic use on the subsequent QOL. Antibiotic use significantly increased the odds of developing CRSsNP (odds ratio: 2.21, 95% confidence interval, 1.66-2.93, P < 0.0001) as compared to nonusers. Antibiotic exposure was significantly associated with worse CRS QOL scores (P = 0.0009) over at least the subsequent 2 years. These findings were confirmed by the administrative data review. Use of antibiotics more than doubles the odds of developing CRSsNP and is associated with a worse QOL for at least 2 years following exposure. These findings expose an unrecognized and concerning consequence of general antibiotic use. 3b. Laryngoscope, 2016 127:296-302, 2017.

Longitudinal Reciprocal Relationships Between Quality of Life and Coping Strategies Among Women with Breast Cancer.

Research on quality of life (QoL) among women with breast cancer has often examined the impact of coping strategies on QoL. However, the transactional model of stress and coping would argue that QoL can impact coping. This reciprocal relationship between QoL and coping has been inadequately studied. This study examined reciprocal relationships over 18months between QoL and coping (positive and negative coping) among women with breast cancer. Three-wave cross-lagged structural equation modelling (SEM) analysis was used over three timepoints post-diagnosis (T1-T3; N = 637, 577, 553, respectively). SEM results revealed a significant reciprocal relationship between negative coping and QoL, indicating that negative coping predicted subsequent QoL, which in turn predicted later negative coping. Although QoL at cancer diagnosis predicted subsequent positive coping, we did not find a reciprocal relation between QoL and positive coping. Findings expand our knowledge of the relation between QoL and coping by suggesting the reciprocal relationship between negative coping and QoL among women with breast cancer.

Health-related quality of life after treatment for neoplasia of the major salivary glands: a pilot study

Treatment of malignancy of the salivary glands risks damage to the cranial nerves, and clinicians’ traditional view has been that this will result in adverse effects on physical function and subsequent health-related quality of life (QoL). Preservation of nerves has been advocated to lessen this impact, but we know of no evidence that sacrifice of the facial nerve has any effect on subsequent QoL. We collected data prospectively before and after operation for all malignancies of the major salivary glands treated over five years using two health-related QoL questionnaires: the University of Washington Quality of Life Questionnaire and the Patient Concerns Inventory. Fifteen of17 eligible patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria by having assessments completed both before and after operation. Scores for QoL after treatment of cancer of the submandibular gland dropped at six months, but had resolved to more than 80% of the pretreatment score by a year, with the exception of the domains taste and saliva. The four patients who had weakness of the facial nerve after treatment had appreciable reductions in the physical function components of the QoL domains, but no significant reduction in the social-emotional domains. Use of the Patient Concerns Inventory enables tailoring of services towards those clinicians who a patient feels are potentially most likely to help alleviate factors that have an adverse effect on QoL. Sacrifice of the facial nerve in malignant parotid gland disease results in a considerable reduction in functional health-related QoL scores. Methods to ensure clearance of the tumour while limiting the effects on facial nerve function should always be considered.

Electroencephalography in Normotensive and Hypertensive Pregnancies and Subsequent Quality of Life.

ObjectivesTo compare electroencephalography (EEG) findings during pregnancy and postpartum in women with normotensive pregnancies and pregnancies complicated by hypertensive disorders. Also the health related quality of life postpartum was related to these EEG findings.Materials and MethodsAn observational case-control study in a university hospital in the Netherlands. Twenty-nine normotensive and 58 hypertensive pregnant women were included. EEG’s were recorded on several occasions during pregnancy and 6–8 weeks postpartum. Postpartum, the women filled out health related quality of life questionnaires. Main outcome measures were qualitative and quantitative assessments on EEG, multidimensional fatigue inventory, Short Form (36) Health Survey and EuroQoL visual analogue scale.ResultsIn women with severe preeclampsia significantly lower alpha peak frequency, more delta and theta activity bilaterally and a higher EEG Sum Score were seen. Postpartum, these women showed impaired mental health, mental fatigue and social functioning, which could not be related to the EEG findings.ConclusionsSevere preeclamptic patients show more EEG abnormalities and have impaired mental wellbeing postpartum, but these findings are not correlated.

Surgical repair of nasal septal perforations

Nasal septal perforations can have a substantial impact on patient's nasal breathing and subsequent quality of life. Various surgical techniques have previously been described for the repair of these perforations. In this review, we examine the most recent literature evaluating surgical techniques for the repair of nasal septal perforations. Twenty-seven studies evaluating 646 patients were included. None of these studies compared different surgical techniques. Four major categories of surgical techniques are described: multilayer, single layer, patch, and resection. Within these broad categories there is much heterogeneity in both the individual surgical technique and material used for reconstruction. However, the overall closure rate in all studies evaluated was 88%. The diversity in surgical techniques demonstrated in this review would indicate that surgeons are not satisfied with the current surgical approaches for the repair of nasal septal perforations. However, the overall closure rates presented in this review are very favorable. Future comparative studies are needed to better evaluate these techniques.