Cannula versus needle in medical rhinoplasty: the nose knows

The use of hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers has become a popular alternative for nose remodeling, although poor understanding of the nasal anatomy has resulted in adverse events and generated some controversy. Among them, is the question of where and when to use cannulas vs needles. Through multiple cadaver dissections, clinical experience and the review of medical literature the authors conclude the use of needle over cannula is preferred, assuring a correct injection plane lying fully against the bone or cartilage. Although blunt in nature, cannulas may lead to difficulty in determining with precision the exact depth of product placement and contribute to more dissection of adjacent structures. Thorough knowledge of the highly variable nasal anatomy, including vessel depth location is of outmost importance in avoiding adverse events. Good patient selection is critical where most noses for augmentation rhinoplasty and some reduction rhinoplasty candidates where the goal is to camouflage the dorsal hump are amenable to medical rhinoplasty, unless there is reduced skin elasticity of nasal soft tissues or distortion of anatomy from surgery or trauma. Appropriate product selection is important for effective results. The authors suggest fillers with low cohesivity and high lifting capacity. Finally, we suggest a technique referred as Rhinosculpting base in the use the use of three conceptual elements: facial analysis, light reflection, and use of HA gel as a cartilage graft, in combination with the detailed injection technique presented in this article, which ensures a safer and satisfying treatment outcome.