The aesthetic and functional outcomes of rhinoplasty surgery: a prospective evaluation

Background Patient satisfaction following rhinoplasty is a growing area of research; and researchers have developed various validated tools to evaluate postoperative outcomes. It remains a key measure of surgical success with functional and aesthetic outcomes. The current study aims to assess patient satisfaction with cosmetic and functional surgical outcomes following rhinoplasty in the Saudi population via the Standardized Cosmesis and Health Nasal Outcomes Survey (SCHNOS). Methods This study was conducted in a cross-sectional design with an electronic survey among adult patients 6 to 12 months after rhinoplasty in a private center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The SCHNOS assessment tool was used in this study, a simple, valid, and reliable method for evaluating the success of cosmetic rhinoplasty. Results A total of 205 patients participated in the current study. Results showed significant differences in the SCHNOS-O subscale in those aged> 35 years (median =10.0, IQR= 0.0-27.5) being significantly lower than those of the other age categories. Furthermore, divorced participants scored higher than those married (median =47.5, IQR =45.0-60.0). Finally, participants with the highest household income scored lower nasal obstruction scores (median = 30.0, IQR =10.0-40.0) than those in the lowest income category. Conclusions Saudi patients above the age of 35 reported higher satisfaction levels with the surgical outcome following rhinoplasty. Divorced patients were more likely to be dissatisfied with the surgical outcome. Compared to patients in other parts of the Kingdom, patients in the Central region had fewer nasal obstruction symptoms and better cosmetic results.