Rhinoplasty in the Older Adult

Two-year outcomes of temperature-controlled radiofrequency device treatment of the nasal valve for patients with nasal airway obstruction

Background

The objective of this study was to evaluate long-term symptom improvements in patients with nasal airway obstruction (NAO) secondary to nasal valve collapse (NVC) following minimally invasive temperature-controlled radiofrequency (TCRF) treatment.

Methods

A prospective, single-arm, multicenter study in patients >18 years with NAO due to NVC. Inclusion criteria were response to nasal valve dilation (e.g., modified Cottle maneuver) and baseline Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) Scale score ≥60. Patients were treated in the nasal valve region with a TCRF device and followed through 2 years. A responder was ≥20% reduction NOSE Scale score or ≥1 reduction in severity class.

Results

A total of 122 patients were treated and 91 reached 2 years. The mean baseline NOSE Scale score was 80.3 (95% CI, 78.1-82.6). The adjusted mean change in score at 2 years was -45.8 (95% CI, -53.5 to -38.1), p < 0.001; a 57.0% improvement. The 2-year responder rate was 90.1% (95% CI, 82.3%-94.7%). Significant and sustained symptom improvement was achieved in subpopulations based on sex, age, body mass index, baseline NAO severity, nasal surgery history, NVC mechanism, septal deviation, and other anatomic contributors of NAO. No serious adverse events with a relationship to the study device and/or procedure were reported.

Conclusions

Minimally invasive TCRF device treatment of the internal nasal valve for NAO is well tolerated and leads to significant and sustained improvement in NAO symptom severity through 2 years, including in patients with both static and dynamic NVC, septal deviation, turbinate enlargement, or prior nasal surgery.

Level of Evidence

2b.

A New Technique for Use Instead of Lateral Crural Overlay for Reduction of Nasal Tip Projection in Revision Rhinoplasty

Objective

Correction of nasal tip projection (NTP) deformities involve techniques for the lower lateral cartilage of the nose. Previously, it would have been surgically difficult to perform the lateral crural overlay (LCO) technique for the second time in revision rhinoplasty in patients who already had undergone rhinoplasty with the LCO technique because of the length of the NTP. In this study, we evaluated the lateral crural segmental excision (LCSE) technique in patients with overprojected nasal tip in revision rhinoplasty.

Methods

We retrospectively studied the cases of 19 patients who had initially undergone rhinoplasty with the LCO technique for overprojected nasal tip, and later underwent revision rhinoplasty with the LCSE technique after insufficient NTP was observed on facial analysis between 2018 and 2022.

Results

Of the patients, 12 (63%) were male, with an average age of 29.6 years, and 7 (17%) patients were female, with an average age of 25.3 years. Using Goode's formula, NTP indexes of patients measured 79.4±1.8 preoperatively and 56.0±1.3 postoperatively. Stastically significant difference was observed between preoperative and postoperative values. None of the patients had malnutrition at the incision margins, and all patients recovered on time and without any problems. Granulation tissue was detected in the mucosa in only one patient.

Conclusion

The LCSE technique, with a short surgical time, recovery period without complications, and satisfactory nasal respiratory function, is preferred over a second LCO application in cases of NTP.

The Ageing Nose: Challenges and Solutions

Purpose of Review

Rhinoplasty has traditionally been considered an elective procedure for younger patients. However, increasingly older patients are undergoing nasal surgery for both functional and aesthetic indications. We provide an overview of the common problems with rhinoplasty in the elderly and the surgical techniques that can be reliably utilised to address them to produce predictable and longstanding results.

Recent Findings

Outcomes from studies of older rhinoplasty patients emphasise the need for a tailored approach that preserves natural structures. However, if reinforced structural support is required, especially in functional cases, grafting techniques such as septal extension grafts, spreader grafts and alar strut grafts are required. Furthermore, special consideration must be made for the nasal skin in older patients, and utilisation of dorsal onlay grafts is often necessary.

Summary

Surgery for the ageing nose is a complex challenge for the rhinoplasty surgeon. Preoperative assessment is critical and must include detailed facial analysis that considers the amplification of facial asymmetry due to the ageing process and an appreciation that expectations in this population may differ from younger patients. A comprehensive understanding of the age-related anatomical changes in the nasal structure and the wide repertoire of operative techniques are required to restore form and function.