Patient expectations of cosmetic appearance after complex facial surgery in a low-income country.

Abstract

Managing aesthetic expectations for patients post facial operations can be challenging in the high-income countries, yet alone in low-income countries. This cohort study involved patients undergoing facial operations during the October 2018 Facing Africa charitable surgical trip at the Nordic Medical Centre in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Twenty-one patients were shown pre and postoperative photographs of patients who had operations for similar facial pathologies on a prior surgical mission. They were then interviewed after their own operations also in regards to their own appearance. Admiration (n = 8, 38.1%), followed by trust (n = 6, 28.6%) were the most common emotions expressed by patients after seeing the pre and postoperative clinical photographs. Joy (n = 9, 42.9%) and admiration (n = 9, 42.9%) were most commonly felt by the patients after seeing their own appearance postoperatively. Utilisation of pre and postoperative photographs of patients who underwent similar procedures should help prospective patients prepare for often what is quite a dramatic change to their appearance.