Patient Recovery and Satisfaction with Perioperative Care After Rhinoplasty

Background: Recovery after rhinoplasty is not well characterized in the literature. Objective: To quantify key aspects of patient recovery after rhinoplasty and characterize factors that may impact recovery and overall satisfaction with perioperative care. Methods: Prospective cohort study of rhinoplasty patients undergoing surgery at a tertiary referral center between January 2018 and January 2020, and completed a patient experience questionnaire at first postoperative visit. Results: Fifty-one patients underwent functional septorhinoplasty. Mean age was 37.8 years (standard error [SE] 2.4) with median 36.0 years (range 16-79). Fifty-three percent were female (n = 27). Patients resumed most daily activities within 4.1 days. Overall satisfaction with perioperative care was high (mean 9.6, SE 0.1), although 29% of patients (n = 15) wished they had more information regarding surgical care. Patients who did not desire additional information reported higher satisfaction and faster time to activity recovery compared with those who desired additional information. Conclusions: Rhinoplasty patients are able to resume most routine activities within 4.1 days after surgery, although patients desiring additional information about care demonstrate lower satisfaction with perioperative care and slower recovery compared to those who felt well informed.