Olfactory function after nasal plastic surgery

Nasal plastic surgery is a common procedure, which may cause complications. Many patients are concerned about possible changes in the ability to smell. This study aimed to investigate the impact of nasal surgery, by itself, on the sense of smell in a group of patients with minimal endonasal pathologies and no pre-operative olfactory alterations.

In this prospective study from January 2009 until January 2011, we evaluated post-rhinoplasty olfactory changes in a series of 100 rhinoplasty candidates. Olfactory evaluation was performed both subjectively and objectively. The subjective evaluation contained a 0-to-100 Visual Analogue Scale and a five-choice qualitative questionnaire; while, the objective evaluation was performed using the same odor variant of the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT40). Then, the results were analyzed by age, sex, operation method, symptoms, and time-interval groups.

Subjective and objective scoring revealed no significant change in terms of postsurgical olfactory outcome. According to subjective grading, 26 patients had improvement, 61 had no change, and 13 had deterioration of the smell sense. Closed rhinoplasty resulted in a better smell outcome after surgery according to the Visual Analogue Quantitative Score (P = 0.034).

Rhinoplasty does not appear to significantly change the preexisting olfactory status.