Association Between Satisfaction with Nasal Appearance and Olfactory Function in Patients Undergoing Septorhinoplasty Surgery

Abstract

Background: Any surgery has some complications, and septorhinoplasty is not an exception. The aim of this study was to highlight the relationship between satisfaction with nasal appearance and olfactory function in patients undergoing septorhinoplasty. Methods: This is a cohort study. In this study, 384 patients aged 18 to 45 years who referred to the Ear, Nose and Throat department at Rasoul Akram hospital and private clinics in 2019 underwent septorhinoplasty. All patients were tested by the Persian Smell Identification Test (PSIT) or Rapid Smell Test (RST) before surgery. They were also reassessed one and three months after surgery. Those patients with dissatisfaction with olfactory function after surgery were also followed up for three months and assessed by PSIT or RST to determine their olfactory dysfunction. Results: One month after surgery, 73.5% of patients who were not satisfied with their nasal appearance also complained about the olfactory sense. In addition, 1.5% of patients who were satisfied with their nasal appearance also complained about the olfactory sense. There was a significant difference regarding complaints of the olfactory sense between patients satisfied with their nasal appearance and those not satisfied with their appearance (P<0.05). Three months after surgery, 78.9% patients who were not pleased with their nasal appearance also had an olfactory complaint. Besides, 0.9% of patients who were pleased with their nasal shape also had an olfactory complaint. There was a significant difference regarding olfactory complaints between patients who were pleased with their nasal shape and those who were not (P<0.05). Conclusion: One and three months after septorhinoplasty, most patients who are satisfied with their nasal appearance have no complaints about their olfactory sense, and most patients who are not satisfied with their nasal appearance complain about the olfactory sense. An appropriate outcome of septorhinoplasty with regard to improving olfactory functional status is accompanied by patients’ satisfaction level of achieving good nasal appearance.