Facial Assessment and Cosmetic Enhancement Quality of Life Questionnaire (FACE-Q) Arabic Validation.

Background  Rhinoplasty, a common cosmetic surgery, improves aesthetic appearance and nasal function. Outcomes are typically measured by patient satisfaction and quality of life impact. However, a gap exists in validated non-English assessment tools, especially in Arabic, which hinders accurately capturing patient experiences in Arabic-speaking populations. To fill this gap, this study aims to translate and validate the "Rhinoplasty" module of the Facial Assessment and Cosmetic Enhancement Quality of Life Questionnaire (FACE-Q) self-questionnaire into Arabic. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Otorhinolaryngology Department of the National Guard Health Affairs in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Adults who underwent rhinoplasty from 2017 to 2021 were included if they had at least one year of follow-up and were contactable. A sample size of 109 was determined, and the participants were selected using probability cluster sampling. A 33-item FACE-Q scale was administered via telephone, with scores converted to a 0-100 scale for analysis. Translation involved a two-way process with independent translations and back-translations, followed by review and pilot testing. Results The study included 137 participants (mean age, 32.5 years; 53 men, 84 women), predominantly electing cosmetic surgery, with an average of four years post-surgery. The internal consistency of the scales varied, with the self-acceptance/love scale showing acceptable reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.73) and other scales suggesting item redundancy (Cronbach's alpha for aesthetic scales > 0.94). The self-rated complications scale did not meet the acceptability threshold, indicating a need for scale revision. Conclusions The Arabic translation of the FACE-Q Rhinoplasty module shows potential as a reliable tool for evaluating patient satisfaction and quality of life after rhinoplasty in Arabic-speaking patients. Further refinement is necessary to address item redundancy and enhance cultural specificity. This work underscores the importance of culturally sensitive tools for global applicability in cosmetic surgery outcomes research.