Introduction: Septorhinoplasty addresses both functional and cosmetic concerns with the nose and has been shown to have consistent, long-term benefits for patients. Nasal irrigation and medication such as antimicrobials are prescribed postoperatively to improve outcomes. Patient compliance with these interventions and outcomes of surgery have not been described. We aim to describe what the effects of compliance with these interventions may be in long-term follow-up.
Methods: Patients undergoing septorhinoplasty were reviewed prospectively from 2015 to 2022. At time of operation, patients were prescribed medications, saline douching and given smoking cessation advice. Patients underwent rhinoplasty outcomes evaluation (ROE) preoperatively, at four weeks, and 3, 12, 24 and 36 months postoperatively. Compliance with postoperative interventions was measured at four weeks. Statistical tests were performed.
Results: A total of 56 patients underwent septorhinoplasty. Preoperative ROE scores were improved significantly at all stages of postprocedure follow-up (p<0.0001). Multiple linear regression found no significant differences in patients who were not compliant with medications (p>0.40), nasal douching (p>0.22), both medication and nasal douching (p>0.40), and a positive smoking status (p>0.11) at four weeks. At 3- and 24-months follow-up, there were no significant differences in ROE scores between compliant patients and those who were noncompliant with medications, nasal douching or both (p>0.13).
Conclusions: Our data represent the only series of patient-reported outcomes from septorhinoplasty patients where compliance with nasal irrigation, smoking cessation and antimicrobials is considered. Compliance with nasal irrigation, topical antimicrobials or smoking cessation did not influence postoperative ROE scores.
Keywords: Compliance; Outcomes; Patient; Rhinoplasty.