Predictors of satisfaction with facial plastic surgery: results of a prospective study

To identify demographic and psychological factors that predict satisfaction or dissatisfaction with outcomes among patients undergoing facial plastic surgery.

All patients presenting to the Center for Facial Cosmetic Surgery at the University of Michigan between January 1, 2007, and January 1, 2008, were asked to participate. Patients answered an initial baseline survey consisting of demographic information and an assessment of their baseline level of optimism/pessimism in addition to a surgery-specific outcome questionnaire both preoperatively and 4 to 6 months postoperatively.

Fifty-one patients (mean [SD] age, 53 [13.0]; 69% female; 98% white) participated. Patients over the mean age of 53 years were more satisfied with their results than those under the mean age (P = .01). Patients currently being treated for depression were more satisfied with surgical outcomes than those not being treated (P = .05). No correlation was identified between baseline optimism/pessimism or other baseline factors and patients' perceived surgical outcomes. Surgeons were decidedly less positive in their assessment of the outcome than patients.

Despite a priori hypotheses that patients treated for depression might be more pessimistic and rate their satisfaction lower than other patients, patients treated for depression show a trend toward greater satisfaction from facial plastic surgical procedures than those not treated for depression.