Prospective Qualitative Multidimensional Assessment of the Postoperative Rhinoplasty Experience

Background: Understanding the multidimensional postoperative patient experience after rhinoplasty is critical for preoperative counseling and postoperative management. Methods: A prospective clinical study was conducted from June to December 2019 for 60 patients undergoing cosmetic and/or functional rhinoplasty by two facial plastic surgeons. All patients were administered the brief pain inventory, a clinically validated pain instrument, including multiple quality of life (QOL) domains, survey at postoperative days (PODs) 1, 2, 3, and 8. Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) scores were used to predict patients having greatest QOL disturbance. Primary outcomes were postoperative QOL domains, pain scores, and oxycodone usage. Statistical analysis was performed using STATA 14.0 (STATA Corp., College Station, TX). Preoperative NOSE and postoperative Euro Quality of Life 5-Dimension scores were also recorded. Results: Patients showed greatest disruption to QOL in the first 3 PODs and essentially returned to normal levels by POD8, which mirrored trends in pain and opioid usage. All tested QOL domains (general activity, sleep, work, mood, enjoyment, and relationships) were strongly correlated with overall pain. NOSE scores were not significantly associated with pain or QOL impairment. Conclusions: This is the first study to prospectively evaluate the rhinoplasty patient's postoperative experience using a pain instrument, including multiple QOL domains. Utilizing a validated clinical instrument allows for standardized comparison of postrhinoplasty pain and QOL disruption with other surgical procedures and disease processes. These data may help guide preoperative counseling and set accurate patient expectations for the postoperative period.