Preoperative anthropometric assessment of nasal aesthetic parameters in iranian rhinoplasty candidates: deviation from conventional normative standards

Abstract Background Conventional nasal anthropometric norms are widely used in aesthetic analysis; however, their applicability across different populations remains uncertain. This study aimed to perform a preoperative anthropometric assessment of nasal aesthetic parameters in rhinoplasty candidates and to describe the frequency and pattern of deviations from conventional normative criteria. Methods In this retrospective descriptive cross-sectional study, preoperative facial photographs of 60 rhinoplasty candidates from private oral and maxillofacial surgery clinics and Imam Khomeini Hospital in Ahvaz, Iran, were evaluated. Preoperative profile and frontal facial photographs meeting predefined quality and positioning criteria were analyzed. Nasal aesthetic parameters were classified as within or outside predefined conventional criteria. Findings were summarized using frequencies, percentages, and exact 95% binomial confidence intervals for the proportions of findings outside the conventional criteria. Results The study included 60 rhinoplasty candidates, comprising 32 males (53.3%) and 28 females (46.7%). The most frequent findings outside the conventional criteria were anterior–posterior radix position in 57 patients (95.0%), tip projection in 56 (93.3%), nasofrontal angle in 55 (91.7%), dorsal hump in 54 (90.0%), and alar base width in 47 (78.3%). Vertical radix position, nasolabial angle, and columellar show had relatively balanced distributions within and outside the conventional criteria. The supratip/infratip break criterion was not met in 8 patients (13.3%), and nasal dorsal deviation was present in 11 patients (18.3%). Conclusion The findings support the use of anthropometric assessment as a descriptive component of surgical planning, while emphasizing that conventional standards should not be used as the sole determinants of aesthetic suitability. Preoperative evaluation should integrate objective nasal assessment with each patient’s individual goals and cultural preferences.