A Novel Approach to Provide Long-Term Tip Projection and Rotation Stability: Lateral Columellar Strut Graft

One of the methods applied to ensure the long-term continuity of the desired result in rhinoplasty is to detect it by placing columellar strut between the medial crus. Columellar strut helps to increase tip support and projection. However, the placement of the strut between the medial crus can disrupt the divergence angle and prevent the tip rotation to be at the desired level due to the interaction of the septum with the caudal. in this study, the data obtained by fixing the columellar strut to the lateral faces of the medial crus are shared. in 51 primary rhinoplasty patients who underwent open rhinoplasty, the medial crus was dissected and released. The distance between the footplates and the new domes was measured and the length of the columellar struts was determined. Grafts obtained from cartilage septum were shaped. After symmetry was achieved between the medial crus, the prepared grafts were fixed to the lateral face of the medial crus. Preoperative and postoperative 12th month images were transferred to computer- aided program and nasolabial angles were measured. The obtained data were transferred to SPSS 22.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, USA) program and statistical comparisons were made. Fifty one patients were included in the study. Thirty eight of the patients were female and 13 were male. The mean age of the patients included in the study was 29.2 years. The mean preoperative nasolabial angle was 90.2 degrees postoperatively, and the average nasolabial angle was 104.2 degrees at 6 months. A statistically significant difference was found between preoperative and postoperative measurements (P  < 0.05). Lateral columellar strut is an effective and reliable and novel method for increasing the stability of medial crus, maintaining tip support in postoperative period and increasing tip rotation.