External rhinoplasty in the tropics

The thick oily and pigmented skin present in majority of tropical patients makes rhinoplasty challenging surgery. Rhinoplasty by the external approach though gaining increasing acceptance all over the world is yet to gain popularity in this country. Hypertrophied scars are not uncommon in coloured skin and the reluctance to give an external incision for a cosmetic procedure is natural. We started the external rhinoplasty approach with some reservations, however in a series of over seventy cases, no significant problem has been encountered, with the columellar scar. Accurate approximation of the columellar wound is probably a more important factor in wound healing than the skin colour. Our experience of external rhinoplasty is presented.