Aesthetic Rhinoplasty and Nasal Obstruction: Presentation of Results of a 100-Patient Study by Using NOSE Inventory

Abstract

Objective: The current prospective study is evaluating the nasal symptoms of patients who underwent aesthetic rhinoplasty with the intranasal approach, in a long-term setting.

Setting: There is a large amount of the literature about the technique, the possible comorbidities, the aesthetic result, the patient's psychosocial background, but it is very limited regarding the effect of the operation on nasal function and physiology and this is the setting that this study is focusing on.

Materials and method: The validated NOSE questionnaire (Nasal Obstruction Symptoms Evaluation) was used in 100 patients operated on by surgeons in both the public and private sectors during the period of 2009 and 2016. The results were analyzed statistically by using SPSS.

Results: Classical aesthetic rhinoplasty, without functional interventions (septum or conchas reduction), was found to improve nasal obstruction symptoms postoperatively in various grades: 77% of patients improved, 10% were found unchanged, and 13% reported worsening of their symptoms. Statistical analysis revealed that, in general, the functional outcome is stable with a slight tendency to deteriorate in the following years after operation. Although both genders had improvement in their symptomatology postoperatively, females had a greater improvement than males. Smoking and allergic rhinitis did not appear to be important determinants of the outcome.

Conclusion: Classical aesthetic rhinoplasty appears to improve nasal obstruction symptoms, and this is stable through time. However, limitations apply.

Level of evidence iv: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Keywords: Classical aesthetic rhinoplasty; Endonasal approach; Functional outcome; NOSE; Rhinoplasty.