Functional/Aesthetic Measures of Patient Satisfaction After Rhinoplasty: A Review

Xiao H, Zhao Y, Liu L, Xiao M, Qiu W, Liu Y.

PubMed 30722008 Publisher (DOI)

What this paper says

A review of five rhinoplasty questionnaires that cover both breathing and appearance, arguing that these combined instruments are more useful than measures addressing only one aspect.

Overview

Satisfaction after rhinoplasty depends on both how the nose works and how it looks, but many questionnaires cover only one. The authors searched PubMed for instruments that assess both, and appraised each on content, ease of use, and how results are analyzed.

Sections of note

Patient-reported outcome measures are divided into three categories: functional, aesthetic, and both.
The authors note a previous classification by Barone et al did not include a recently developed scale.
PubMed was searched for English-language publications describing patient satisfaction after rhinoplasty using instruments covering both domains.
Instruments reviewed: the Rhinoplasty Outcomes Evaluation, the Functional Rhinoplasty Outcome Inventory 17, the Rhinoplasty Health Inventory and Nasal Outcomes scale, the FACE-Q Rhinoplasty module, and the Standardized Cosmesis and Health Nasal Outcomes Survey.
Each was appraised on content, ease of use, and analysis parameters.
The review's stated conclusion is that multi-functional instruments are preferable to single-purpose ones.
The abstract gives no study numbers, validation statistics, or ranking between the five instruments.

What it means for a patient

Five questionnaires exist that ask about both breathing and appearance in one form.
Using one combined instrument rather than two separate ones simplifies follow-up and keeps results comparable.
The abstract does not identify which of the five performs best.
This is a narrative review rather than a formal quality appraisal against a standard.

Why this paper matters

Choosing the right outcome instrument determines whether a surgeon's results can be compared with anyone else's. Cataloguing the combined-domain options helps that choice. The review does not grade the instruments' measurement properties, which a formal appraisal would.

Terms

Patient-reported outcome measure: A questionnaire a patient completes about their own condition.
Functional outcome: Result relating to breathing and nasal function.
Aesthetic outcome: Result relating to appearance.
FACE-Q: A modular questionnaire covering facial appearance and related quality of life.
SCHNOS: A validated survey covering both breathing and appearance after rhinoplasty.

Summary written by rhinoplasty.cc from the abstract, 2026-09-09; not medical advice. The authors' own abstract follows.

From the abstract

“Multiple patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are available to assess patient satisfaction after rhinoplasty. These self-assessment measures can be divided into 3 categories: measures for functional outcomes, aesthetic outcomes, and both. Although Barone et al have discussed this classification, a recently…”

Excerpt; the full abstract is on PubMed.