Asian Rhinoplasty Using Exclusively Auricular Cartilage Via Closed Approach.

[BACKGROUND] In rhinoplasty, the open approach carries potential risks such as hypertrophic scarring, while synthetic implants carry potential risks like infection. Therefore, we propose a new technique that utilizes exclusively auricular cartilage for both framework construction and dorsal augmentation via closed approach.

[OBJECTIVES] To evaluate the efficacy and safety of this new technique.

[METHODS] Patients who underwent rhinoplasty between October 2022 and June 2024 at Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital were included. Incisions were made in both nostrils. The strut, septal extension graft, and nasal tip grafts were sutured to construct the framework, and the nasal dorsum was filled with diced auricular cartilage. Adobe Photoshop 6.0 was used to measure a series of aesthetic indices preoperatively and 12 months postoperatively. Patient satisfaction was assessed using the visual analog scale (VAS) and rhinoplasty outcome evaluation (ROE) scores. A paired t-test was used for data analysis, with P<0.05 considered significance.

[RESULTS] A total of 63 patients aged 18-45 years (mean age: 25.6 years) were enrolled. Statistically significant improvements were observed in all measurements (P<0.05), suggesting that aesthetic defects of the nose were corrected. VAS and ROE scores indicated significant improvements in patient satisfaction (P<0.05). Three-dimensional image analysis revealed that the nasal volume increased by an average of 2.9 mL postoperatively compared to the preoperative status. No significant difference in nasal volume was observed between 6 and 12 months postoperatively (P>0.05).

[CONCLUSIONS] This technique is a promising approach and merits broader application.