Special report: lengthening the nose: thoughts on correction with a reexamination of some basic principles.

BACKGROUND AND

OBJECTIVES

Providing thin, well-vascularized lining flaps is still the most elusive achievement in corrective nasal surgery. The purpose of this article is to reexamine some of the principles of correction.

METHODS AND MATERIALS: To demonstrate the importance of releasing or sectioning nasal lining, the authors review the principles of lengthening the nose, illustrated with seven clinical cases from their surgical experience and a detailed 12-drawing presentation of the surgical approach by Tessier--the senior surgeon.

RESULTS AND/OR

CONCLUSIONS

The nose is the center of the face and a major determinant of facial appearance. The short nose has been one of the more difficult conditions to treat in rhinoplastic surgery. To optimize the result, procedures developed from experience in craniofacial surgery should be combined with the existing methods, developed primarily by rhinoplastic surgery and confined to the nasal tip.