Skin Tensioning Concept in Rhinoplasty Using a Semifixed Support Mechanism.

[BACKGROUND] As the skin on the nose shows outwardly, if we do not consider the volume of skin on the nose that is reduced, the results may be unsatisfactory. Although redraping the skin over a wide area may help, excess skin cannot be adequately controlled in some cases.

[MATERIALS AND METHODS] During skin tensioning, a semifixed support mechanism was applied to keep the nasal tip stable and maintain its position while simultaneously allowing stretching and mobility in accordance with its normal function. The dorsal and infratip/columellar skin was stretched by using the support of the most projected part of the nasal tip. The skin was pulled posteriorly to obtain sufficient tensioning and excised at the columellar incision line.

[RESULTS] Of the 94 patients who underwent skin tensioning, 82 were women, and 12 were men. The ages of the patients ranged from 18 to 59 years. Ninety-one patients were primary rhinoplasty patients, and 3 patients were secondary rhinoplasty patients. Skin tensioning was performed in 31 patients with overprojection, 24 patients with thick skin, 17 patients with low skin elasticity, 12 patients with excessive skin elasticity, 7 patients with an advanced long nose, and 3 patients with scar tissue due to previous surgery. No serious complications, either functional or aesthetic, related to skin tensioning was encountered.

[CONCLUSION] The skin tensioning technique using a semifixed support mechanism helped to achieve a required reduction with a sufficiently defined appearance of the nose in patients with difficult skin.