Surgical therapy and olfactory function

Abstract

This report provides an overview of the relationship between olfaction and surgery. Surgery can be considered as treatment for some olfactory dysfunctions. Moreover, olfactory dysfunction can be analysed as a complication of some surgical procedures. An impaired sense of smell is a common problem affecting approximately 65% of patients with chronic sinusitis. Much of the literature about the effect of surgery on the olfactory system is based on subjective reports of olfactory function, which do not accurately assess objective smell dysfunction. A small number of prospective studies have been published. All studies looking at the sense of smell have found overall post-operative improvement compared with pre-operative symptoms. The range of improvement compared with pre-operative scores ranged from 13 to 91%, with a median of 31%. Olfaction dysfunction can be a complication of various surgical procedures such as laryngectomy, septoplasty, rhinoplasty, ethmoidectomy, and some neurosurgical procedures.