Assessment of Postoperative Satisfaction in Patients Following Rhinoplasty: A Cross-sectional Study

Al-Ayadhi LY, Alghamdi HA, Almaiman NI, Alanezi MN, Alali MA, Alsubaie AS, Almawash AN, Alobeily NH, Halepoto DM.

PubMed 41158592 Publisher (DOI)Free full text (PMC)

What this paper says

Among 54 Saudi rhinoplasty patients, the mean satisfaction score was 59.49 out of 100 and 58 percent reported no significant breathing problems after surgery.

Overview

The authors investigated appearance and breathing outcomes after rhinoplasty among Saudi patients, along with how demographics and social media influenced decisions and satisfaction. This was a retrospective cross sectional study conducted between 2023 and 2024 in 54 patients aged 16 to 35 who had undergone rhinoplasty, assessed with an online Rhinoplasty Outcome Evaluation questionnaire.

Sections of note

Design: retrospective cross sectional study, 54 patients: 12 men and 42 women, aged 16 to 35.
Mean satisfaction score after rhinoplasty: 59.49, standard deviation 19.85.
37 of 54 participants, more than half, scored above 50 percent.
No significant differences in satisfaction by sex, age, education, income or marital status.
Occupation category was the one demographic factor significantly associated with satisfaction, p equal to 0.009.
58 percent of participants reported no significant problems on the Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation scale after surgery.
The authors describe the effect of social media on satisfaction levels as encouraging, without reporting figures.

What it means for a patient

The average satisfaction score of about 59 out of 100 is moderate, lower than the figures reported in most surgeon led series.
Roughly four in ten patients still reported some degree of nasal blockage after surgery.
Who the patient was, in terms of age, sex, education or income, made no measurable difference to satisfaction.
Limits: 54 patients, cross sectional, no stated interval since surgery, an online questionnaire, and no comparison group.

Why this paper matters

Satisfaction figures published by operating surgeons are usually much higher than those collected independently, and survey based studies of general patient populations provide a counterweight. A mean score under 60 with 42 percent reporting residual blockage is a different picture from typical series. Without a stated time since surgery, the figures are hard to place.

Terms

Rhinoplasty Outcome Evaluation: a patient questionnaire scoring satisfaction with the nose.
Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation: a questionnaire measuring nasal blockage.
Cross-sectional study: a study measuring a group at one point in time.
Functional outcome: the result measured by how well the nose breathes.
Aesthetic outcome: the result measured by appearance.

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

Abstract

Background: Rhinoplasty, a common cosmetic procedure, involves reshaping the nose; the procedure can improve birth defects, airway functionality, and facial appearance. This study aimed to investigate the aesthetic and functional outcomes with the role of patient demographics on outcomes among Saudi patients after rhinoplasty. It also explored the effect of social media on decision-making and the level of satisfaction following rhinoplasty.

Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted between 2023 and 2024 in Saudi Arabia on 54 patients (12 men and 42 women) aged 16-35 years who underwent rhinoplasty. The patients' aesthetic and functional satisfaction outcomes were assessed using an online rhinoplasty outcome evaluation (ROE) questionnaire.

Results: The mean ROE satisfaction score after rhinoplasty was 59.49 ± 19.85. More than one-half of the participants (n = 37) scored more than 50%. Based on the ROE and demographic characteristics, there were no significant differences in ROE satisfaction scores among sex (P = 0.21), age (P = 0.26), education (P = 0.45), income (P = 0.11), and marital status (P = 0.76) except occupation category (P = 0.009). Furthermore, in 58% of participants, the Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation scale showed no significant problems after rhinoplasty.

Conclusions: A considerable proportion of patients were satisfied with the aesthetic and functional outcomes after rhinoplasty. The study also found encouraging results on the effect of social media on satisfaction levels. The findings of this study show that rhinoplasty can lead to aesthetically pleasing outcomes in a diverse population, such as in Saudi Arabia.

Abstract as indexed by PubMed; the article is open access (PubMed Central).