Assessing outcome in aesthetic rhinoplasty

In the measurement of outcome, rhinoplasty surgery suffers from the lack of easily calculable data such as recurrence rates or survival figures, which are inherent in other branches of the speciality and surgical practice in general. We have reviewed methods utilized for the assessment of outcome following aesthetic rhinoplasty, and have developed an instrument by which a pre- and postoperative assessment of nasal and facial appearance can be made from standard frontal, lateral, basal and oblique photographs, the Rhinoplasty Assessment Scale (Photographic) (RASP). It is our intention that this will act as a template for methodical and standardized photographic assessment of the nose prior to rhinoplasty. This will highlight the changes required and provide a quantitative measure of nasal aesthetics, which will be complimentary to existing measures of subjective patient benefit.