People who went under the knife for rhinoplasty sounded a bit more nasal five months after the surgery, according to a new study from Iran, Fox News reports.

The results from 27 surgeries showed that "the voices changed in statistically significant ways, but the changes were subtle," Dr. Kamran Khazaeni told Reuters Health.

Khazaeni, a surgeon who specializes in ear, nose and throat procedures, worked on the study at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences in Iran.

The 22 female and five male patients "noticed changes, but overall, they were satisfied," Khazaeni said. Patients ranged in age from 18 to 45 years old.

A team of linguists and speech pathologists detected more pronounced nasal sounds post-surgery after listening to voice recordings of the patients. 

The results were confirmed with patient self-assessments and a computer program that analyzes acoustic sounds.

Writing in the February issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Khazaeni and his team say that if rhinoplasties can change vocal sounds by narrowing a person's nasal cavity, people who rely on their voice for professional reasons should be made aware of this possible risk.

The study raises interesting questions, such as why these results are being seen in Iran and not in North America, said Dr. Minas Constantinides. Anecdotally, of the more than 2,000 rhinoplasties he has performed, Constantinides said only one patient expressed concerns about more voice nasality after surgery.

Constantinides practices facial plastic surgery in New York City and is secretary of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. He was not involved in the new research.