Improvement of Alar Concavity With Scroll Ligament Preservation: Sandwich Technique.

[BACKGROUND] Excessive concavity of the lower lateral crura can cause significant aesthetic problems for the nasal tip and can be associated with significant functional problems, such as insufficiencies in the external nasal valve.

[OBJECTIVES] The aim of this study was to develop a novel technique for the improvement of several alar concavities that preserve the scroll area.

[METHODS] In this retrospective study, 51 primary rhinoplasty patients with unoperated alar concavity deformities were assessed. Alar concavities were repaired with alar strut grafts and a superior transposition flap or superior-based sliding flap, which were designed with the "sandwich" technique. Additionally, the scroll ligament was completely preserved in the 2 variants of the technique. All patients who were included in the study were assessed with the Rhinoplasty Outcome Evaluation (ROE) questionnaire before surgery and at their 1-year follow-up appointment.

[RESULTS] The median age of patients was 29.2 years (range, 19-49 years). The ROE scores ranged between 90 and 100 points after 1 year. The median score was 91.2 points, and this was significantly increased at the 1-year follow-up appointment (P = 0.002). Patient satisfaction was found to be excellent in 92% of the included patients. Patients were also evaluated in terms of functionality. The patients' patency scores increased to 9.4 from 6.1 (out of 10) after a 12-month follow-up (P = 0.003).

[CONCLUSIONS] This "sandwich" technique involves a combination of superior transposition flaps, superior-based sliding flaps, and alar strut grafts. Thus, patients who receive this treatment may also benefit from new flap techniques and vertical and longitudinal scroll ligament preservation. This new technique presents a novel and easy method for the reconstruction of severe alar concavities.