Characterizing the Rhinoplasty Outcomes Most Important to Patients, Surgeons, and the General Population

Abstract

Understanding rhinoplasty characteristics important to patients, physicians, and society is essential for evaluating outcomes and designing optimal treatment plans. The authors aimed to elucidate specific rhinoplasty-related outcomes that are most important to patients, surgeons, and the general population. A cross-sectional survey comprising 11 rhinoplasty-specific characteristics, was distributed to patients, facial plastic surgeons, and the general population. Adult patients presenting for rhinoplasty consideration or follow-up after undergoing rhinoplasty were recruited. Characteristics rankings were compared between the 3 respondent groups using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient (ρ). Responses from 150 surgeons, 111 patients, and 102 lay individuals from the general population were included for analysis. When ranking rhinoplasty-specific characteristics in order of importance, patients and the general population ranked “ability to breathe through nose while awake” first and “overall appearance of nose” as second. Surgeons ranked “overall appearance of nose” first and “ability to breathe through nose while awake” second. There were strong correlations between patients’ and surgeons’ rankings (Spearman’s ρ=0.836, P=0.002), between patients’ and the general population’s rankings (Spearman’s ρ=0.773, P=0.007), and between surgeons’ and the general population’s rankings (Spearman’s ρ=0.782, P=0.006). Our results highlight a significant correlation between characteristics of the “ideal” nose as determined by patients, surgeons, and the general population.