While much research exists on the topic of patient-reported outcomes after a rhinoplasty procedure, few studies have attempted to quantify the impact of the surgery on social perceptions, or observer-reported outcomes. Such research is warranted given the importance of facial appearance on social interactions.

Luckily, a recent study was conducted, with the aim of quantifying observer-graded perceived attractiveness, success, and overall health of patients who have undergone a rhinoplasty procedure.

The results of this US-based study were published in JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery and consisted of a web-based survey in which casual observers viewed images of 13 unique patient faces before or after undergoing rhinoplasty. The researchers used the Delphi method to select standardized patient images, thus confirming patient candidacy and overall surgical effect.

Participating observers rated the attractiveness, perceived success, and perceived overall health for each picture. The researchers used a scale ranging from 0 to 100, where higher scores corresponded to more positive responses. They then performed statistical analyses to determine the effect of rhinoplasty while additionally accounting for observer biases.