Septum hinge technique outcomes in nasal tip deviation

Abstract

Introduction: Deviation of nasal tip usually produces aesthetic disturbance and nasal ven- tilation decrease. It is usually associated with alar cartilages morphologic disturbances and dysmorphia of the septal cartilage. Aim: To present an alternative surgical technique for treating laterorrhinia in the nasal inferior third and its outcomes. Material and Method: 27 patients with nasal tip laterorrhinia were treated with the hinge septum technique, in- cluding the placement of one or two spreader grafts. We describe the anamnesis and ex- ploration protocol that we carried out in these patients and a detailed description of the surgical procedure. Results: Unilateral spreader graft was used in 19 patients to complete the technique, and bilateral spreader graft was used in eight. The average score in visual analogue scale (VAS) related to nasal flow was 8.3, which means an improvement of six points, and in VAS related to aesthetic appearance the score was 8.1, improving 4.6 points. Conclusion: The use of the hinge septum technique is useful to treat the deviation of the nasal tip in a functional and aesthetic way. There are several differences compared to other described techniques. The indication has to be suitable for each patient individually.