Translation, cross-cultural adaptation, and validation of the functional rhinoplasty outcome inventory-17 (FROI-17) in Turkish-speaking patients: a prospective validation study.

[BACKGROUND] Functional rhinoplasty aims to improve nasal airflow and patient satisfaction, yet standardized assessment tools for outcome evaluation in Turkish-speaking patients are lacking.

[AIMS/OBJECTIVES] To translate, culturally adapt, and validate the Functional Rhinoplasty Outcome Inventory-17 (FROI-17) for use in Turkish-speaking patients undergoing functional septorhinoplasty.

[MATERIAL AND METHODS] A prospective observational study was conducted in 35 adult patients scheduled for functional septorhinoplasty. Translation and cultural adaptation followed established guidelines forward-backward translation, expert review, and pilot testing. Patients completed the Turkish version of the FROI-17 (FROI-17-TR) and SNOT-22 preoperatively and at the third postoperative month. Internal consistency, inter- and intra-rater reliability, convergent validity, and responsiveness were evaluated.

[RESULTS] The FROI-17-TR demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.828). Reliability analysis showed excellent agreement (ICC > 0.95 for inter-rater and intra-rater assessments,  < 0.001). Convergent validity with SNOT-22 was strong both preoperatively (ρ = 0.847) and postoperatively (ρ = 0.864) ( < 0.001). Both FROI-17-TR and SNOT-22 scores decreased significantly following surgery, reflecting clinical improvement.

[CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE] The findings of this study suggest that the FROI-17-TR appears to be a valid, reliable, and responsive patient-reported outcome measure for Turkish-speaking populations. Its implementation may enhance standardized patient-centered outcome assessment in both clinical practice and research.