Effect of Lateral Crural Procedures on Nasal Wall Stability and Tip Aesthetics in Rhinoplasty

Objective Outcome Measures in Nasal Valve Repair and Nasal Obstruction

The diagnosis of nasal valve compromise (NVC) is clinical. However, objective evaluation of the nasal airway can support the clinical diagnosis of NVC and quantify the derangement produced by NVC in nasal airflow and in nasal airway resistance. Computational fluid dynamics analysis can quantify disturbances of the normal nasal airway conditions and, furthermore, localize these disturbances to the nasal valve. Objective evaluation of the nasal airway is useful to assess the results of surgery addressing the nasal valve, being able to quantify the improvement in nasal airflow, nasal airway resistance and nasal airway dimensions achieved by surgery.

Repairing the Nasal Valve in Revision Surgery

Nasal airway obstruction is a frequent complaint in an otolaryngology clinic and is often multifactorial. Anatomic contributors may include a nasal septal deviation, inferior turbinate hypertrophy, and nasal valve compromise. Septoplasty and inferior turbinate reduction are one of the most common procedures performed by an otolaryngologist. A variety of techniques have been described to strengthen the lateral crura; however, the lateral crural strut graft should be considered in the revision rhinoplasty patient as studies have suggested it is more powerful than other methods without requiring other techniques to strengthen the lateral crura.

Improving the Supraalar Groove Aesthetic Subunit and Lateral Crura Convex-Concave Deformity

BACKGROUND

Lateral crura surface problems are one of the most difficult challenges in nose tip surgery. Closed preservation rhinoplasty (CPR) is a revolutionary concept that keeps nose tip flexibility and elasticity. By solving lateral crura surface problems and keeping tip flexibility the surgeon will accomplish a sharper supraalar groove transition between the dorsum and the tip.

OBJECTIVES

The convex-concave lateral crura deformity (CCLCD) or S-shaped lateral crura is one of the biggest constraints to accomplishing a beautiful tip and dorsum-tip transition (DTT). This deformity is the reason for the commonly called parenthesis deformity of cephalic malposition. This LLC convex-concave shape creates a C-shaped shadow. This DTT is one of the key areas for accomplishing natural results, and it depends on different nose structures, not just the lower lateral cartilages (LLC).

METHODS

A total of 560 rhinoplasty cases were studied retrospectively between September and December 2023. Three hundred and twenty patients had at least 1 year of follow-up. Patients had follow-up at 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year after surgery. No secondary rhinoplasty was included. Only 2 secondary septoplasty cases were included, without any nose skin undermining in the previous surgery. Surgical details were documented, including the 6 fundamental steps of this technique: (1) mucosal lower lateral incision, (2) dorsum subperichondral dissection and vertical scroll release, (3) lateral crura tail caudal release, lateral crura steal and slide-under flap lateralization, (4) upper lateral caudal resection, (5) vertical scroll reconstruction, and (6) turning point extension graft.

RESULTS

Three hundred and twenty patients had at least 1 year of follow-up. In total, 516 patients underwent a closed approach and 47 patients an open approach. All patients had subperichondral dissection of the hump envelope. All patients who underwent a closed approach had a low-strip letdown dorsal preservation technique. All patients who underwent an open approach had a structural technique with spreader flaps or grafts at the keystone area. All the patients underwent osteotomies with a piezoelectric device. Twenty-three revisional surgeries were necessary.

CONCLUSIONS

CPR taught us how important ligament and soft tissue preservation are. We learned that the less damage you do to the nose soft tissues and scaffold, the less support you need for it. Surgeons have been overgrafting the lateral crura to solve postoperative problems mainly because of dissection problems and lack of lateral crura support. This paper describes how to solve lateral crura surface problems, keeping the tip flexible and elastic, and also creating a nice and natural supraalar groove transition, by applying 6 surgical maneuvers.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 (THERAPEUTIC)

Patient Outcomes in Lateral Crural Repositioning and Reconstruction in Revision Rhinoplasty

Background: In revision rhinoplasty, lateral crural repositioning/reconstruction is considered a complex maneuver. The aim of this study is to measure patient outcomes after lateral crural repositioning/reconstruction in revision rhinoplasty. Methods: In this retrospective case series, patients who underwent revision rhinoplasty with lateral crural repositioning/reconstruction for functional, cosmetic, or combined purposes were reviewed. Preoperative Standardized Cosmesis and Health Nasal Outcomes Survey (SCHNOS) scores, functional and cosmetic visual analog scales (VAS-functional [F] and VAS-cosmetic [C]), and lateral wall insufficiency (LWI) grades were compared with their respective postoperative scores. Results: Forty-two patients were identified who underwent lateral crural repositioning. The mean postoperative follow-up for ≤6 months (PO1) and >6 months (PO2) was 3.1 (standard deviation [SD] 1.7) and 11.5 (SD 5.3) months, respectively. At both postoperative periods, significant improvement (p < 0.05) in patient-reported outcomes was observed in mean SCHNOS-Obstruction, SCHNOS-Cosmesis, VAS-F, and VAS-C scores. The postoperative changes in LWI scores (Δ) were significant on both sides at zone 1 at PO1 (p < 0.05) and PO2 (p < 0.05), and at PO2 on the left side (p < 0.05) only, for zone 2. Conclusion: Lateral crural repositioning with reconstruction is an effective maneuver in revision rhinoplasty in a subset of patients and specifically helps to improve nasal tip aesthetics while preserving function.

Management of Lateral Wall Insufficiency

Lateral wall insufficiency is a commonly encountered etiology of nasal obstruction, resulting from dynamic collapse at the level of the internal or external nasal valve. Various management strategies exist to strengthen the lateral wall or stent the nasal valves to relieve nasal obstruction, and range from noninvasive devices, minimally invasive implants, or surgical reconstructive techniques. Surgical options to address the nasal valves are selected based on each patient's anatomic findings, aesthetic and functional goals, and surgeon preference. This article describes the anatomy and physiology of the nasal sidewall and nasal valves and diagnosis of lateral wall insufficiency, and provides a framework for treatment options.

Extended Lateral Crural Overlay for Lateral Crural Tensioning

An extended lateral crural overlay with substantial overlapping of the two cartilaginous edges combined with fixation of the lower lateral cartilages (LLC) to a septal extension graft is an efficient technique for tensioning and flattening the lateral crura of the LLC. This technique can be used to improve tip definition and to create a smooth and strong transition between tip lobule and alar lobule without producing a tendency for over projection of the nasal tip.

State of the Evidence for Preservation Rhinoplasty: A Systematic Review

Preservation rhinoplasty encompasses a number of techniques that minimize disruption of the native cartilaginous and soft tissue nasal architecture. These techniques have gained popularity resulting in an increase in publications relevant to preservation rhinoplasty. However, many studies that present patient outcomes are of low-level evidence and do not incorporate validated patient-reported outcome measures. While these studies do consistently report positive outcomes, there are few high-level comparative studies that support the theoretical benefits of preservation relative to structural rhinoplasty. As contemporary preservation rhinoplasty techniques will continue to evolve and become incorporated into clinical practice, there will be the need for parallel emphasis on robust clinical studies to delineate the value of these methods.

Patient's Perception of Nasal Function and Cosmesis After Maxillomandibular Advancement for Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Background: Maxillomandibular advancement (MMA) remains one of the most effective surgeries for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), but it can be difficult to manage nasal and midfacial esthetics for patients requiring significant maxillary advancement. Objective: To evaluate changes in the Standardized Cosmesis and Health Nasal Outcomes Survey (SCHNOS) after the modified MMA approach. Methods: This prospective study was conducted on subjects undergoing MMA at a tertiary referral center from September 2020 to August 2021. Nasal function, cosmesis, and sleepiness were assessed perioperatively with the SCHNOS, visual analog scale for nasal function and cosmesis, and Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS). Objective polysomnography data were also investigated. Results: Thirty-one subjects met inclusion criteria. After MMA, SCHNOS-O (obstruction domain) improved from 44.38 ± 26.21 to 19.03 ± -4.75 (p < 0.001). The SCHNOS-C (cosmesis domain) improved significantly from 13.95 ± 19.32 to 5.27 ± 8.93 (p = 0.029). Specific items evaluating self-esteem, nasal straightness, and symmetry showed significant improvement (p = 0.006, 0.025, 0.044). The ESS also improved from 9.41 ± 6.11 to 3.26 ± 3.03 (p < 0.001), and it correlated with nasal obstruction scores. Conclusion: In this study, patients' perception of nasal obstruction and appearance improved after applying the nasal modifications to MMA described for OSA.

Comparative Functional Effect of Alternative Surgical Techniques Used in Rhinoplasty

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this investigation is to compare the functional effect of the different surgical techniques used for addressing each section of the nose.

METHODS

Prospective study of 57 consecutive rhinoplasty patients. Patients were evaluated with peak nasal inspiratory flow (PNIF), Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE), and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for nasal obstruction before and 1 year after rhinoplasty. Additionally, esthetic evaluation of the nose was obtained with Rhinoplasty Outcomes Evaluation (ROE). According to the surgical technique used to address each portion of the nose, groups of patients were created and the functional improvement of these groups was compared.

RESULTS

Using the TukeyHSD multiple pairwise-comparison test, the estimated difference of the increase of PNIF between using spreader grafts and using spreader flaps was 94.9 (95% CI 24.3, 165.5, P = .004) between spreader grafts and neither grafts or flaps was 79.2 (95% CI 5.8, 152.6, P = .03), between spreader grafts and bilateral spreader flaps plus a unilateral spreader graft was 90.2 (95% CI 22.1, 158.2, P = .005). In all other portions of the nose, no significant difference was found in the functional improvement between different surgical techniques.

CONCLUSIONS

Spreader grafts increase PNIF more significantly than other surgical techniques used for dorsal mid-vault reconstruction. Spreader grafts should be preferred over other techniques whenever an improvement of nasal airflow is required. No significant differences were found between the functional effect of alternative techniques used in other sections of the nose. Additional cohort studies will be necessary to further confirm data from this investigation.

Comparative Effectiveness of Cartilage Grafts in Functional Rhinoplasty for Nasal Sidewall Collapse

Objective: To compare the patient-reported outcomes among patients with nasal obstruction undergoing two rhinoplasty techniques to a control group. Methods: Prospective longitudinal study in a university-based tertiary care medical center. All patients undergoing functional septorhinoplasty for correction of lateral wall insufficiency between October 2015 and March 2019 were included; n = 704, mean age (standard deviation) 39.0 (15.4) years, 52.7% females. Patients completed the Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) and FACE-Q subscales pre- and postoperatively. Patients were divided into three cohorts: spreader and lateral crural strut (LCS) grafts (n = 141), spreader and alar rim (AR) grafts (n = 104), and the control spreader grafts alone (n = 218). Results: The median NOSE scores at last postoperative visit were improved from baseline (p < 0.001) for all cohorts. The FACE-Q nasal satisfaction median scores also improved postoperatively in all cohorts, AR, LCS, and spreader, respectively (p = 0.001, p < 0.001, and p < 0.0001). Conclusions: There was no detectable difference in the improved subjective nasal function, nor adverse aesthetic outcomes in the patients with lateral wall insufficiency treated with functional rhinoplasty techniques in this study.