Functional Outcomes After Feminizing Rhinoplasty

Overview

Feminising rhinoplasty, part of facial feminisation surgery, reduces and refines the nose substantially, raising the question of whether it blocks breathing. In this IRB-approved prospective cohort, cisgender men and women having cosmetic rhinoplasty and transgender women having feminising rhinoplasty completed the NOSE survey before surgery and at 3, 6 and 12 months; results were compared with t-tests.

Sections of note

• NOSE scores fell significantly in all groups.
• Transgender women: 78% reduction at 3 months, 84% at 6 months, 77% at 12 months.
• No significant postoperative difference between the cosmetic and feminising groups.
• Patient numbers are not given in the abstract.

What it means for a patient

• Feminising rhinoplasty did not worsen breathing in this cohort and was associated with improvement.
• Results matched those of standard cosmetic rhinoplasty at the same centre.
• Group sizes are not stated, so the precision of the estimates is unknown.

Why this paper matters

It is one of the few prospective functional studies in facial feminisation, a growing indication for rhinoplasty. Limits: single centre, sample size not reported in the abstract, patient-reported outcome only.

Terms

• Feminising rhinoplasty: nasal surgery to produce features typically read as female, such as a smaller, more concave bridge and a more rotated tip.
• Facial feminisation surgery (FFS): a set of procedures aligning facial appearance with female gender identity.
• NOSE: Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation, a 0-100 breathing questionnaire; lower is better.
• Prospective cohort: patients enrolled before surgery and followed forward.