Abstract
The object of this study was to design a clinical tool, the Patient Attitudes Scale, that will enable surgeons to identify patients at risk for dissatisfaction postsurgery. Both cosmetic and noncosmetic nasal surgery patients completed a short preoperative questionnaire comprising item clusters believed to measure variables associated with the prediction of risk. Postoperatively, these same 65 patients rated their satisfaction/dissatisfaction with surgical results. Measures completed by participating surgeons included preoperative status and risk-level ratings. The questionnaire and surgeons' risk-level ratings were positively and significantly associated with patient outcome ratings and with each other, providing predictive and concurrent validity. Significant correlations were found between postoperative dissatisfaction and both a negative support system and inappropriate expectations. Extremely dissatisfied patients scored above the mean on five of the questionnaire's seven clusters: impulsivity, inappropriate expectations, external pressure for the surgery, negative support system, and mental/psychological factors.
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