Assessment of Rhinoplasty Outcomes with FACE-Q Rhinoplasty Module: Norwegian Linguistic Validation and Clinical Application in 243 Patients

Overview

Patient satisfaction after rhinoplasty is increasingly studied, and the FACE-Q rhinoplasty module needs translating into national languages to be used. This study translated 14 questions into Norwegian and applied them before and after surgery at one clinic.

Sections of note

• Fourteen questions from the Satisfaction with Nose Scale and Adverse Effects Checklist were translated following Mapi Research Trust guidelines; answers processed anonymously through QuestBack.
• Of 243 patients operated at Oslo Plastic Surgery Clinic, 214 were reachable by email; response rates were 23 percent preoperatively and 32 percent postoperatively.
• Somewhat or very satisfied, before versus after: overall size 16.3 versus 61.7 percent; how straight the nose looks 22.4 versus 58.3; how well it suits the face 12.2 versus 60; length 20.4 versus 68.4; width at the bottom 26.6 versus 55; bridge 14.3 versus 55; appearance in photographs 10.2 versus 50; tip 16.3 versus 48.3.
• Adverse effects, before versus after: moderate or extreme difficulty breathing 28.6 versus 35 percent; tenderness 6.1 versus 23.7; skin looking thick or swollen 14.6 versus 30.5; unnatural bumps or hollows 55.1 versus 53.3.
• The authors state satisfaction after rhinoplasty is not as high as after other cosmetic procedures such as breast augmentation.

What it means for a patient

• Satisfaction roughly tripled or quadrupled on most appearance items, but the tip remained the lowest scoring at 48.3 percent.
• Reported breathing difficulty and tenderness were higher after surgery than before, and swollen-looking skin doubled.
• Reported bumps or hollows barely changed, from 55.1 to 53.3 percent.
• Limits: response rates of 23 and 32 percent, so the majority did not answer, and the abstract gives no interval between surgery and the postoperative survey.

Why this paper matters

It provides item-level satisfaction figures rather than a single score, showing which aspects of the nose patients remain unhappy with. The rise in reported breathing difficulty and adverse effects is candid. The low response rates mean the results may not represent the full patient group.

Terms

• FACE-Q rhinoplasty module: A validated questionnaire section covering satisfaction with the nose and adverse effects.
• Linguistic validation: Translating an instrument so it measures the same thing in another language.
• Satisfaction with Nose Scale: The FACE-Q subscale covering appearance of specific nasal features.
• Adverse Effects Checklist: The FACE-Q subscale recording symptoms and unwanted effects.
• Response rate: The proportion of those surveyed who replied.