Complications of Internal Continuous and Perforating External Osteotomy in Primary Rhinoplasty.

[BACKGROUND] Osteotomy is one of the major steps in rhinoplasty. The aim of study was to compare edema and ecchymosis after external and internal lateral osteotomy in patients who underwent rhinoplasty.

[METHODS] Based on a prospective randomized clinical trial, 168 osteotomies were performed through an external route in a perforating fashion and internal route in a continuous fashion at right or left side respectively in any patient. Subjective scoring system was applied to evaluate edema and ecchymosis on 1, 3, 7, and 30 days after surgery.

[RESULTS] Edema and ecchymosis were the same in both types of osteotomies.

[CONCLUSION] Regarding edema and ecchymosis, there was not any significant difference between external and internal osteotomies in rhinoplasty.