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CC BY-NC 4.0 · Arch Plast Surg 2021; 48(01): 3-9
DOI: 10.5999/aps.2020.01088
Cosmetic
Original Article

Nasal alar rim redraping method to prevent alar retraction in rhinoplasty for Asian men: A retrospective case series

Jun Ho Choi 
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Armed Forces Capital Hospital, Seongnam, Korea
,
Hyokyung Yoo 
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea
,
Byung Jun Kim 
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea
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Background For an attractive and natural tip contour in Asian rhinoplasty, insertion of a nasal implant and reinforcement of the cartilaginous framework are essential. However, scar contracture, which often results from augmentation with implant insertion and inadequate soft tissue coverage of the framework, is one of the most common causes of alar retraction. This study reports a novel method of redraping soft tissue along the alar rim to prevent alar retraction in Asians.

Methods Twenty young Asian men who underwent primary rhinoplasty with septoplasty were retrospectively reviewed. After the usual rhinoplasty procedures, alar rim redraping was conducted for the soft tissue along the transcolumellar and bilateral infracartilaginous incisions. The longest axis of the nostril (a) and the height of the nostril from that axis (b) were measured in anterior-posterior and lateral views. The preoperative and postoperative ratios (b/a) were analyzed using the paired t-test.

Results All 20 patients showed natural contours of the nasal tip, nostrils, and alae after a mean follow-up of 53.6 weeks (range, 52–60 weeks). The ratio of the nostril axes significantly decreased postoperatively in all patients except one, by an average of 11.08%±6.52% in the anterior-posterior view and 17.74%±8.49% in the lateral view (P<0.01). There were no complications, including asymmetry, contracture, subdermal plexus injury, flap congestion, or infection.

Conclusions A quantitative analysis of alar retraction by evaluating the ratio of nostril axes showed that alar rim redraping is a simple and effective adjuvant technique for preventing alar retraction in rhinoplasty for young Asian men.

Ala - Asian - Rhinoplasty

*Current affiliation of Jun Ho Choi is WONJIN Plastic Surgery Clinic, Seoul, Korea.




Publication History

Received: 21 June 2020

Accepted: 13 November 2020

Article published online:
20 March 2022

© 2021. The Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License, permitting unrestricted noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)

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