Patient Satisfaction Level of the Functional and Aesthetic Outcome of Secondary Rhinoplasty in Patients With Secondary Deformity of the Nose After Lip Repair in Hospital Kuala Lumpur and Hospital Pakar Universiti Sains Malaysia.

[BACKGROUND] Cleft lip and palate are common congenital conditions that often result in nasal deformities, affecting both aesthetics and functionality. Secondary rhinoplasty plays an important role in correcting these deformities, bringing about an improvement in the function of the nose, facial harmony, and quality of life. Surgical techniques have advanced with time, but limited research has highlighted the patient-reported satisfaction levels with the aesthetic and functional outcome of secondary rhinoplasty. This study evaluated the aesthetic, functional, and overall satisfaction among cleft lip and palate patients who underwent secondary rhinoplasty.

[METHODS] A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 44 cleft lip and palate patients 18 years and older who had undergone secondary rhinoplasty between 2016 and 2022 at 2 tertiary hospitals. The validated Rhinoplasty Outcome Evaluation questionnaire, which measures physical, emotional, and psychosocial domains, was used to assess satisfaction levels. Preoperative and postoperative scores were analyzed using paired-samples t tests to assess changes in satisfaction levels.

[RESULTS] The mean age of participants was 24.16 years (SD, 3.40), with a gender distribution of 54.5% female and 45.5% male. Preoperative satisfaction scores for nasal aesthetics and function were 0.93 (SD, 0.73) and 2.23 (SD, 0.74), respectively. Postoperative scores showed significant improvements, increasing to 3.02 (SD, 0.51) for aesthetics and 3.50 (SD, 0.51) for function (P < 0.001). The total Rhinoplasty Outcome Evaluation score, which measures the overall satisfaction, improved from 30.87 (SD, 6.68) to 80.30 (SD, 9.90) (P < 0.001).

[CONCLUSIONS] Significant improvement was seen in the aesthetics and function of the nose in cleft lip and palate patients after secondary rhinoplasty, leading to high levels of overall satisfaction. These findings highlight the importance of patient-reported outcomes in assessing success of a surgical procedure. Future studies should focus on larger cohorts and the use of advanced technologies to further optimize outcomes for patients with cleft-related nasal deformities.