Abstract
The nose contributes greatly to the facial aesthetic. Derangements in nasal cosmesis,
whether from surgery, trauma, or natural causes, have a plethora of implications for
the emotional well-being of the individual. Rhinoplasty and revision rhinoplasty are
both facial cosmetic operations that have potentially profound cosmetic, and therefore
psychological, implications for the patient. Although many revision rhinoplasty patients
have hopeful yet realistic surgical expectations, there is a subset of revision rhinoplasty
patients having underlying psychological disturbances that may negatively affect the
surgical outcome, no matter how favorable the surgical improvement. In this article,
the various psychological disorders impacting revision rhinoplasty patients will be
discussed. In addition, this article will familiarize the revision rhinoplasty surgeon
with many of the hallmark characteristics of psychopathology, as well as the typical
emotional presentation of the well-adjusted revision rhinoplasty patient, to facilitate
differentiation between these seemingly similar, but distinctly different patient
groups.
Keywords
Revision rhinoplasty - psychology - personality disorders - cosmetic surgery - body
dysmorphic disorder
