Litigation in Septorhinoplasty Surgery: A Pan-Specialty Review of National Health Service (the United Kingdom) Data

Abstract

Introduction Success in septorhinoplasty surgery can be difficult to assess, due to a lack of objective and measurable outcomes. If patients’ expectations are not met, this places surgeons performing septorhinoplasty at risk of litigation, which can be stressful and costly. Methods NHS Resolution is a government funded organisation in the UK, which provides expertise to the NHS on resolving patient concerns. Data was requested from NHS Resolution for claims involving septorhinoplasty surgery over a period of five years between April 2015 and April 2020. Rhinoplasty claims performed by all specialties were included. Data included the claim status, incident details, alleged injury, damages claimed, and damages paid. Results A total of 31 claims were identified by the study, equating to a total cost of £1,347,336.10. Of the 31 claims for rhinoplasty or septorhinoplasty, nine cases were open (29%, £962,361.00) and 22 cases were closed (71%, £384,975.10). The common causes for claims were ‘intra-op problems’ (32%), ‘failure to warn – informed consent’ (19%) and ‘foreign body left in situ’ (13%). The most common injuries were ‘cosmetic disfigurement’ (39%), ‘unnecessary pain’ (29%) and ‘additional/ unnecessary operation’ (29%). Conclusion This study highlights the need for improved awareness of clinical negligence claims among surgeons who perform septorhinoplasty. Results are applicable to all specialities who perform the procedure. The study highlights the importance of assessing patients’ motives and expectations prior to surgery, and emphasises the need for a well-documented rigorous consent process.