Rhinoplasty outcome measurement.

Area of Science:

• Plastic Surgery
• Otolaryngology
• Medical Device Evaluation

Background:

• Limited research exists on measuring rhinoplasty outcomes.
• Reliable instruments for assessing patient satisfaction post-rhinoplasty are scarce.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate patient satisfaction and cosmetic improvement after rhinoplasty.
• To assess the reliability of Alsarraf's questionnaire and a photograph score for measuring outcomes.
• To correlate satisfaction scores with pre-operative deformity severity and surgical complexity.

Main Methods:

• 228 patients undergoing rhinoplasty by a single surgeon were assessed.
• Patient satisfaction evaluated using Alsarraf's questionnaire and a standardized Photograph Score (PS).
• Data correlated with Predictable Difficulty Score (PDS), Surgical Complexity Score (SCS), and specific procedures (Spreader Grafting, Domal Interruption, Grafting of the Dorsum, Tip Grafting).

Main Results:

• Both Alsarraf's questionnaire and PS showed significant pre- to post-operative improvement, indicating reliability.
• Mean improvement was 50.2% (questionnaire) and 2.8 (PS), independent of surgery type or goals.
• Patient satisfaction correlated more with the change in scores than absolute post-operative levels.
• No correlation found between satisfaction and PDS, SCS, or most surgical procedures (SG, DI, GD, TG).
• Domal interruption (DI) was the only procedure associated with significantly higher patient satisfaction (65.6% questionnaire, 3.8 PS).

Conclusions:

• Alsarraf's questionnaire and PS are reliable tools for measuring rhinoplasty outcomes, with the questionnaire also capturing functional aspects.
• Patient satisfaction is influenced by the degree of improvement rather than absolute results.
• Surgical complexity and pre-operative deformity severity do not consistently predict patient satisfaction.
• Domal interruption may be a key factor in enhancing patient satisfaction in rhinoplasty.