Are rhinoplasty patients potentially mad?

Abstract

Rhinoplasty patients have long been considered to be psychologically unstable and therefore a "risky" group upon which to operate. Patients who had rhinoplastic operations more than 5 years ago were contacted by post and their psychological health assessed by the use of psychometric tests. The results show no evidence to support earlier suggestions that requests for rhinoplasty may be early symptoms of severe psychiatric disease. However, several points do emerge. Male patients show more symptoms of anxiety and depression than normal, and female patients who give no history of injury preceding their operation behave in a more extrovert and sociable manner than normal. Furthermore, patients of both sexes who give no history of injury before their operation, even though pleased with the operative results, are more self-conscious of their appearance than those who were injured prior to their rhinoplasty.