Many patients interested in performing plastic nose surgery are unaware that the professional responsible for performing the procedure can choose between two philosophies for performing the technique; structured rhinoplasty or reduction rhinoplasty.
Reduction rhinoplasty is an older technique, but it is currently less used. In reduction rhinoplasty, the plastic surgeon reduces the nasal structures so that the shape of the nose meets the patient’s requests and so he/she interrupts the cartilage ligaments and also remodels the skeleton by removing part of the bone and the cartilaginous areas. Although the immediate result meets the patient’s demands, in the long run, the reduction of the nose structures can result in distortions and weakening of the site.
Structured rhinoplasty promotes another operative philosophy and thus the execution of the surgery has significant differences. Learn more below.
How is structured rhinoplasty performed?
Structured rhinoplasty is a technique developed in the 1990s in the United States to meet an old demand of the procedure: reduce cases of requiring revised nasal alterations years after initial surgery.
In the technique, the responsible plastic surgeon can also perform the interruption of the cartilaginous ligaments to enable the molding of the nasal structures according to the patient’s aesthetic desire. Both cartilage and nasal bone structures can be readjusted to a more desired shape. In addition to reducing, it is possible to increase the structures of the nose through the technique.
The aspect that most differs between the reducing and structured philosophies is that in the second, the plastic surgeon makes use of autologous cartilage, that is, from the patient himself and extracted from the nose, ears, or rib to make grafts that reinforce the structures of the nose. Thus, the reinforcement of the support allows support beams to be made in order to maintain the nasal structures as molded by the professional.
The use of autologous cartilage is indicated to reduce the chances of rejection of the tissue that could harm the result obtained with rhinoplasty.
The plastic surgeon may also choose to make fixation points on the cartilage to repair the ligaments, further decreasing the chances of changes in the shape of the nose after healing.
What are the benefits of structured rhinoplasty?
Patients may wonder if the structured rhinoplasty technique is too unnecessary; however, there are several possible benefits with this approach, directly impacting the long-term results. What happens is that the nasal structure, after rhinoplasty, is impacted by different forces that can cause deformations in the modeling performed by the plastic surgeon. Examples of these forces are:
- scar tissue (fibrosis);
- breathing, with a decrease in the airways;
- skin weight;
- natural aging that reduces cartilage strength;
- Trauma due to surgical manipulations.
All of these factors work to damage the nasal structure and if it is not reinforced enough the site can yield to these forces causing deformities in the nose in the long run. A structured rhinoplasty aims to:
- Separate the skin from the bony and cartilaginous structures of the nose to facilitate surgical manipulation;
- Shape cartilage and bones in a more symmetrical way;
- Improve breathing when it is necessary to associate rhinoplasty with procedures to correct septum deviation or turbinate hypertrophy;
- Strengthen the structure of the nose using grafts and fixation points.
Thus, opting for structured rhinoplasty has real and long-term benefits for patients who wish to undergo nose plastic surgery, regardless of whether it is the first time or whether it is a corrective rhinoplasty.
References
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