Effect of Septal Extension Graft on Creating and Maintaining Tip Rotation in Tongue-in-Groove Technique: A Case Control Study

OBJECTIVE

The outcome of rhinoplasty was evaluated in patients undergoing tongue-in-groove technique (TIG) with and without septal extension grafts (SEG) placement for stabilization of nasal tip rotation.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

Three hundred and sixty-seven patients who underwent rhinoplasty using TIG from 2016 to 2020 were included in this study. SEG was used if the caudal segment of the septum was not suitable for TIG. All patients were photographed pre- and postoperatively. Columellar Facial angle (CFA) and Nasolabial angle (NLA) were measured preoperatively at three intervals including up to six months after the operation (early or T1), up to one year after T1 (midterm or T2), and up to two years after T2 (late or T3).

RESULTS

Two hundred and nine patients (56.94%) underwent TIG and the rest of them (43.06%) received SEG plus TIG (SEG+TIG). The TIG group had a mean CFA of 95.9±7.56 degrees preoperatively, 106.5±6.77 degrees at T1, 105.4±6.48 degrees at T2, and 104.8 ±7.52 at T3. The SEG+TIG had a mean CFA of 98.9±7.65 degrees preoperatively, 108.8±6.58 degrees at T1, 107.7±6.86 degrees at T2, and 106.2 ±15.6 at T3. Comparison of T1, T2, and T3 showed that the CFA changes were less than 1%, indicating a nonsignificant difference. The same results were obtained for NLA as well.

CONCLUSION

Adding of SEG to TIG may be an effective technique to create and maintain a stable rotation comparing to TIG independently.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV

This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

A Novel Modification of Tongue in Groove Technique (Auto-Septal Projection Graft) in Rhinoplasty

INTRODUCTION

Derotation of the nasal tip with narrow nasolabial angle is a common nasal deformity that leads to a long nose appearance, named drooping nose. In these patients, there are various techniques described to fix droopy tip and to achieve a desirable nasal tip rotation such as caudal septal extension graft, extended columellar strut graft, tongue in groove, columellar strut graft, and tip rotation sutures. This study aimed to evaluate changes in nasal tip support after modified tongue-in-groove technique (auto-septal projection graft).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Forty-two patients who underwent a primary open approach septorhinoplasty using the modified tongue-in-groove technique between June 2017 and March 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Postoperative and preoperative photographs were analyzed, and nasolabial angle and the nasal tip projection ratio were recorded and compared before and average of 17.3 months after the surgery.

RESULTS

Forty-two patients (33 female and 9 male) were included the study. The mean nasolabial angle was 85.7° preoperatively and 99.3° postoperatively. The nasal tip projection ratio was 0.60 preoperatively and 0.64 postoperatively. Both the tip rotation and the tip projection increased significantly after the modified tongue in groove (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION

It seems that modified tongue-in-groove method (auto-septal projection graft) is an effective technique in maintaining tip projection and rotation in rhinoplasty and safe method to correct droopy nasal tip in selected cases.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV

This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

[Tip sutures]

Suture techniques are widely used and can be very useful and efficient to support the nasal tip and correct its deformities. Nevertheless, they are so powerful that they have to be performed very precisely if the surgeon does not want to create cosmetics as well as functional problems. The authors describe the main tip sutures and their effects, expected or not.