Assessing psychological morbidity in patients with nasal deformity using the CORE questionnaire

The aesthetic facial surgeon's evaluation of the patient seeking cosmetic surgery must be thorough. Those with emotional disturbances and overt psychiatric disorders are considered to be poor candidates for elective cosmetic surgery. In patients with nasal deformity, the prevalence of subclinical psychological morbidity and the role of cosmetic surgery in these circumstances are uncertain. This study investigates the use of the CORE questionnaire in assessing the psychological status of patients awaiting rhinoplasty or septorhinoplasty and compares this with the psychological status of patients awaiting septoplasty. A prospective trial of 27 rhinoplasty patients and 16 septoplasty patients revealed that in terms of life functioning, patients with nasal deformity have significantly higher psychological morbidity compared with patients without nasal deformity. However, there was no significant difference in global psychological status. In addition, female patients with nasal deformity are more distressed in terms of general wellbeing than male patients with nasal deformity and there is a tendency for higher global psychological impairment in women. These results may have implications in terms of health care rationing in patients with nasal deformity and preoperative psychological screening.