Rhinoplasty: the african american patient

Over the past three decades, an increasing number of African American patients have undergone rhinoplasty, and many continue to present to surgeons for rhinoplasty evaluation. The reality is that rhinoplasty is no longer an uncommon procedure in the African American population. Most patients desire nasal refinement while preserving their cultural identity. The African American nose has many unique features that have to be appreciated and understood to provide the desired outcome. In this paper, we present an overview of the unique anatomic features of the African American nose, rhinoplasty techniques tailored to this patient population, and complications encountered postoperatively.