Influence of age on rhinoplasty outcomes evaluation: a preliminary study

Overview

The Rhinoplasty Outcomes Evaluation (ROE) is a short questionnaire scoring how a patient feels about the nose. The authors used it at a tertiary hospital to measure satisfaction before and after rhinoplasty and to test whether age, sex, time since surgery or type of operation affected the change.

Sections of note

• Longitudinal study at a tertiary care center; 112 patients initially, 61 answered the ROE.
• The questionnaire was completed twice at one visit, once recalling the preoperative state and once for the current state.
• Mean difference between pre- and postoperative scores: 50.5 (P < 0.0001).
• No significant difference in the change score by sex (P = 0.673), follow-up period (P = 0.629) or type of procedure (P = 0.904).
• Mean postoperative score in the under-30 group was lower than in the 30 to 49 group (P < 0.003) and the 50 and over group (P < 0.009).

What it means for a patient

• Satisfaction improved substantially on average, regardless of sex or procedure type.
• Younger patients in this sample were less satisfied after surgery than older ones.
• Preoperative scores were recalled after the fact rather than recorded before surgery, and 45% of the original sample did not respond, both of which can bias results.

Why this paper matters

It is one of the first reports linking age to patient-reported rhinoplasty outcome and supports the ROE as a practical outcome tool. Why younger patients score lower, whether expectations, psychology or different deformities, is not answered.

Terms

• Rhinoplasty Outcomes Evaluation (ROE): a six-question patient questionnaire scored 0 to 100 on nasal appearance and function.
• Longitudinal study: a study that follows the same patients over time.
• Tertiary care center: a hospital that takes referrals for specialized care.
• Change score: the difference between the before and after questionnaire scores.
• Recall bias: error introduced when patients rate a past state from memory.