Rhinoplasty Outcomes in Patients With Symptoms of Body Dysmorphia

Background: Patients with symptoms of body dysmorphia often seek consultation for aesthetic rhinoplasty. While body dysmorphic disorder is a formal psychiatric diagnosis, recent evidence indicates that patients with symptoms of this condition who seek rhinoplasty may experience increased satisfaction with their appearance following surgery. Objectives: To determine the psychological impact of rhinoplasty in patients screened preoperatively and postoperatively with a body dysmorphia screening questionnaire. Methods: Retrospective chart review was performed of patients who underwent aesthetic and/or functional rhinoplasty by a single surgeon from June 2021 to April 2023. Adult patients with a complete preoperative and postoperative Body Dysmorphic Disorder-Aesthetic Surgery questionnaire (BDDQ-AS), Standardized Cosmesis and Health Nasal Outcomes Survey-Obstruction and Cosmesis (SCHNOS), and visual analog scale (VAS) were included. Patient characteristics and outcomes were analyzed, stratifying by BDDQ-AS screen. Results: One-hundred fifteen patients (88% female) met criteria for inclusion. There was an 83% resolution rate of BDDQ-AS positive screening following rhinoplasty. Positive BDDQ-AS screening status preoperatively and postoperatively correlated with worse aesthetic satisfaction (all P < .002). No patient-reported outcome measures were indicative of which patients with a BDDQ-AS positive screen preoperatively would experience "resolution" postoperatively. Conclusions: Body dysmorphia screening resolution following surgical intervention correlated with improved patient aesthetic satisfaction, pointing to a potential positive psychological impact of undergoing rhinoplasty.