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Intraoperative Patient Photographs as Aesthetic Guidance in Rhinoplasty: Assessing Surgeons' Reliance on Memory
Rafeef Alhajress1, Hisham Almousa1, Faisal Sayegh2
1Departments of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, King Saud University.
The Journal of Craniofacial Surgery
|May 22, 2026
Summary
Relying solely on memory during rhinoplasty is unreliable, with surgeons correctly identifying images only 25% of the time. Intraoperative photographs are recommended to improve surgical accuracy and patient outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Plastic Surgery
- Facial Anatomy
- Surgical Cognition
Background:
- Rhinoplasty is a common cosmetic procedure.
- Surgeons often rely on memory or intraoperative photos.
- The study evaluates memory recall versus visual aids in rhinoplasty.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the accuracy of surgeons' memory recall during rhinoplasty.
- To determine if intraoperative photographic references are beneficial.
- To correlate facial recognition ability with surgical experience.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study of 6 facial plastic surgeons.
- Involved the Cambridge Face Memory Test (CFMT) for facial recognition assessment.
- Surgeons identified preoperative photos after a 30-minute delay, with image modifications.
Main Results:
- Surgeons correctly identified original images in only 25.59% of cases.
- Higher CFMT scores and surgical experience correlated with improved accuracy.
- Significant differences noted across all tested nasal parameters.
Conclusions:
- Memory recall alone is insufficient for accurate intraoperative rhinoplasty.
- Intraoperative visual references can enhance surgical precision.
- Facial recognition abilities and recall accuracy improve with surgeon experience and age.
