Abstract
Background The demand for cosmetic plastic surgeries have increased in the recent years, with rhinoplasty being one of the most commonly performed cosmetic procedures worldwide. This study aims to assess the effect of utilizing digital photography and computer simulation pre-operatively and whether it affects patient satisfaction with the surgery outcome.
Methods This was a prospective pilot study of 51 participants; all were primary rhinoplasty cases conducted at a tertiary university hospital by a single surgeon. Data was collected from patients who underwent rhinoplasty from April 1, 2019, to November 30, 2019. All pre- and postoperative photos were taken using the VECTRA (R) H1 handheld imaging system (Canfield Scientific, Inc., NJ, USA) utilizing three photos taken at three different angles. To assess patients' satisfaction, "Rhinoplasty Outcome Evaluation (ROE) Questionnaire by Alsarraf" and "General Satisfaction Questionnaire" were used.
Results Our data showed that the group who underwent simulation pre-operatively had a statistically significant result (P < 0.047) in regard to satisfaction with surgery outcome in comparison with the non-simulation group (P> 0.206).
Conclusions This study highlighted the applicability of simulated digital photography in rhinoplasty for enhancing patient satisfaction. Patients could select their desired appearances, thus resulting in increased satisfaction.