Dallas — Results of a new retrospective study suggest that using columellar struts in rhinoplasties is more helpful than had previously been thought.
An analysis of rhinoplasties performed from 1986 to 2009 by Rod Rohrich, M.D., chairman of the plastic surgery department at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, shows that columellar struts help improve nose symmetry and projection, creating a more natural appearance.
Columellar struts, grafts typically taken from the septum, can significantly project the nose and support the nasal tip. A columella that is retracted or shows too much creates a displeasing aesthetic look.
PRWeb quotes Dr. Rohrich, the study’s lead author, as saying, “Past articles have referred to the use of the columellar strut in rhinoplasty, but its role seems to have been underestimated. Compared to other variables that affect tip symmetry, the columellar strut has a unifying quality that renders it unique. Essentially, the strut provides a scaffold on which any tip correction can be used.”
The analysis, published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, also classifies the type of columellar strut to use, based on more than 1,700 cases.
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