Impact of Rhinoplasty on Nasal Breathing and Olfactory Function: A Longitudinal Prospective Cohort Study

Obeid M, Obeid I, Adi M, Al-Kurdi M, Jawad A, Ismaeel M, Taha A, Mustafa A.

What this paper says

In 62 patients followed for a year, rhinoplasty improved breathing, satisfaction with appearance and reported sense of smell, with smokers having more nasal obstruction at one year and men reporting a larger satisfaction gain than women.

Overview

Rhinoplasty patients often complain of blocked breathing or altered smell afterwards. This single-centre longitudinal study enrolled 62 patients between April 2023 and April 2024 and measured nasal obstruction (NOSE), satisfaction (ROE) and smell (SAOQ) at baseline, 6 months and 1 year.

Sections of note

62 patients, single centre, follow-up to 1 year.
Nasal obstruction decreased and satisfaction increased from baseline to 1 year.
Men reported greater satisfaction improvement than women.
Smokers had more nasal obstruction at 1 year.
Age and history of nasal trauma had minimal effect on outcomes.
Most patients reported relief of congestion and improved smell; Level of Evidence III.

What it means for a patient

On average, breathing and smell improved rather than worsened after rhinoplasty in this cohort.
Smoking was the one factor linked to worse breathing at a year.
The abstract reports directions of change without the actual score values.

Why this paper matters

It adds prospective data on smell, which is rarely measured after rhinoplasty. Limits: 62 patients, single centre, no control group, scores not quantified in the abstract.

Terms

NOSE: Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation, a 0-100 breathing questionnaire.
ROE: Rhinoplasty Outcome Evaluation, a satisfaction score.
SAOQ: a self-administered odour questionnaire measuring smell in daily life.
Olfactory function: the sense of smell.
Longitudinal cohort: a group followed forward over time with repeated measurements.

Summary written by rhinoplasty.cc from the abstract, 2026-09-08; not medical advice. The authors' own abstract follows.

From the abstract

“Rhinoplasty surgery involves multiple specialties and often leads to respiratory and olfactory complaints. This study examines the impact of rhinoplasty on nasal function and patient satisfaction, aiming to enhance quality of life. Objective: To assess the effect of rhinoplasty on nasal breathing and olfactory…”

Excerpt; the full abstract is on PubMed.