Psychological characteristics of the patients of rhinoplasty surgery

Abstract

Background: Rhinoplasty nowadays is one of the main performed cosmetic surgeries.The conducted research is part of a study which primary objective is the assessment of personality traits of two groups of patients who are undergoing rhinoplasty. Methods: The patients were divided in two groups depending on the cause of rhinoplasty. The first group included patients who were undergoing the surgery because of aesthetic reasons, while the second group included patients undergoing the operation because of breathing problems. All participants completed following questionnaires before the surgery: Personality questionnaire VP+2-70 (measuring following seven traits: extraversion, neuroticism, positive and negative valence, conscientiousness, aggressiveness, openness) and DMT, a questionnaire created for research purposes for the evaluation of dysmorphophobic tendencies (thinking about the body part which are considered unattractive in an obsessive manner and the distress caused by it). Data were analyzed by using SPSS software. Differences between groups were evaluated by using the Mann-Whitney U test. Findings: Results showed a highly significant difference between two groups according to the rank means, showing higher agressiveness, positive valence (narcissism) and dysmorphophobic tendencies in the aesthetic rhinoplasty group (agressiveness - AR:14.57; FR:8.00; narcissism - AR:14.61; FR:7.94; DMT- AR:12.96; FR:7.07). Discussion: Bearing in mind that dysmorphophobic tendencies are more distinct among patients undergoing aesthetic rhinoplasty, a psychological assessment before the surgery is advisable to avoid patient dissatisfaction or unnecessary operations.