THE EFFECTS OF LATERAL OSTEOTOMY ON THE AESTHETIC, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND FUNCTIONAL OUTCOMES OF RHINOPLASTY

Materials and Methods: Patients were divided into two groups by nasal width. Patients with a narrow nasal dorsum and short nasal bones underwent rhinoplasty without lateral osteotomy (n = 32) (Group 1); patients with a wide nasal dorsum underwent rhinoplasty with lateral osteotomy (n = 48) (Group 2). The pre- and post-operative dorsal and ventral nasal widths were measured. Pre- and post-operative functional and aesthetic status were evaluated using the Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE), Rhinoplasty Outcome Evaluation (ROE), and Derriford Appearance Scale 24 (DAS24) questionnaires. Postoperative edema and ecchymosis were compared between the groups.

Results: Age and sex were similar between the groups (both p>0.05). The preoperative dorsal and ventral widths were greater in Group 2. The preoperative NOSE and ROE scores were similar between the two groups (both p>0.05) and the DAS24 score was lower in Group 1. Significant improvements in the NOSE, ROE, and DAS24 scores were observed postoperatively in both groups (all p<0.05). The NOSE and DAS24 scores improved more in Group 1 (both p<0.05), whereas the ROE score improvements were similar between the groups. The postoperative edema and ecchymosis scores were significantly lower in Group 1 (both p<0.05).

Conclusions: For certain patients, rhinoplasty without lateral osteotomy may be a good choice, being associated with less postoperative edema and ecchymosis, better nasal breathing, and reduced psychosocial stress. Keywords : Rhinoplasty, osteotomy, nasal obstruction, psychosocial stress, aesthetic outcome