Decision making in preservation rhinoplasty: A 100 case series with one-year follow-up

Abstract

Background: Preservation rhinoplasty (PR) is a new chapter in rhinoplasty history. The term was coined by Daniel in 2018 and represents a fundamental change in philosophy. Objectives: The aim of this study is to discuss a single-surgeon case series utilizing PR techniques. Methods: One hundred fifty-three primary rhinoplasty cases were studied retrospectively between December 2016 and August 2017. One hundred cases had at least 1 year of follow-up. Technical details were recorded, including dissection plane, ligament preservation, tip support, lateral crural maneuvers, alar contour grafts, and preservation of the dorsum vs traditional reduction. These 100 cases can be categorized as either complete preservation rhinoplasty (PR-C) or partial preservation rhinoplasty (PR-P). Results: All patients had open rhinoplasty and the average follow-up time was 13 months. All patients had preservation of the dorsal soft tissue envelope, and in 36 the entire soft tissue envelope and ligaments were preserved. Fifty-four had preservation of the alar cartilages. Thirty-one had dorsal preservation. The combinations include: PR-C (skin, dorsum, and alars): 24; PR-P (skin and dorsum): 2; PR-P (alars and dorsum): 2; and PR-P (skin and alars): 7. Conclusions: In most patients, the dorsal soft tissue envelope and nasal ligaments can be preserved. When possible, the lateral crura should be preserved and tensioning chosen over excision. Dorsal preservation is a versatile technique when proper patient selection is undertaken, and long-term issues with the middle vault and keystone area can be avoided. Some patients will benefit from total preservation where nothing is removed/disrupted and underlying structures are reshaped.