Aesthetic Rhinoplasty for the Improvement of the Lateral Facial Profile; Image-up Rhinoplasty

Kim, Sung Min

Abstract

There are several characteristics of the nose of orientals. The dorsum of nose is flat and low, the skin is thick with severe tension, the nasal tip is bulbous, the nostril is wide, and the projection of the nose is limited due to a poorly developed alar cartilage with a short columella. In order to improve these untoward characteristics of the nose of Orientals aesthetically, plain augmentation of the dorsum and tip-plasty with conventional methods has been performed by many plastic surgeons. However these conventional rhinoplasty is not enough to obtain satisfactory results when transforming into a more beautiful and aesthetically charming appearance. In order to produce the optimal nasal shape and profile, it is extremely important to consider the aesthetic surgical factors, which are; the position of the nasion, the optimal nasolabial angle(95-100 degree in Orientals), the natural exposure of infra-tip lobule with and columella, the position of the tip defining point in harmony with the dorsal profile and the smooth and natural silhouette of the lateral nasal profile as it descends into the inferior portion of the nose. From April, 2003 to August, 2004, a total of 52 patients underwent open rhinoplasty, adhering to the strict aesthetic principles considered and described priorly. Surgical approach was done through a transcolumella incision and an alar rim incision. The nasal dorsum was augmented with a silicone implant and the shape of the columella and the nasolabial angle were finessed with a silicone strut implant which was placed in between the medial crurae in a manner of a non-visible graft. The nasal tip was corrected by alar cartilage suture technique and onlay graft of shield shaped Alloderm and Gore-Tex. Author obtained the optimal nasal shape and profile aesthetically, and the results, considered satisfactory in all patients without any complications, are as follows; 1. the average increase in nasal length was 2.5mm, 2. the average decrease in nasal width was 2.1mm, 3. the average increase in nasal tip projection was 3.2mm, 4. the changes of nasolabial angles were from 85.5 degree to 94.7 degree, 5. the changes of the angle between the long axis of the external naris was from 101.3 degree to 89.5 degree. In conclusion, this surgical procedure is an effective, reliable and a valuable method in improving the nasal shape, tip projection, nasolabial angle and especially, the lateral facial profile of Orientals aesthetically.