title: Nasal patency after open rhinoplasty with spreader grafts.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Spreader grafts have been used in cosmetic rhinoplasty, but little information is available about the objective results of treatment. This study sought to determine subjective and objective functional results of open cosmetic rhinoplasty with spreader grafts.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty patients (14 women, six men; mean age, 31 ± 6 years) had open cosmetic rhinoplasty. Surgery included dissection of the upper lateral cartilages, from the septum, and placement of spreader grafts, symmetrically, along the dorsal edge of the septal cartilage. Preoperative and postoperative evaluation included breathing quality score, acoustic rhinometry and a modified Glatzel mirror test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Evaluation after surgery (range, 5-18 months) showed significant improvement of breathing quality (before surgery, 8; after surgery, 9.4; P ≤ 0.001) and a mean minimal cross-sectional area of the left side (before surgery, 0.6 cm(2); after surgery, 0.9 cm(2); P ≤ 0.01). There was no significant change of the mean minimal cross-sectional area of the right side (acoustic rhinometry) or nasal patency (modified Glatzel mirror test) between preoperative and postoperative evaluation. Complications included postoperative synechiae in two patients and septal granuloma in one patient.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Open structure rhinoplasty using spreader grafts is effective in reconstructing the internal nasal valve and preserving or improving nasal patency.
  
  
  METHODS
  IV (case series with preoperative and postoperative testing).
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Salvador/BA, Brazil. Victor.pochat@gmail.com
authors.forename: Victor D
authors.initials: VD
authors.lastname: de Pochat
authors.forename: Nivaldo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Alonso
authors.forename: Rogério R S
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Mendes
authors.forename: Marcelo S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Cunha
authors.forename: José V L
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Menezes
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004954:Esthetics; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006084:Graft Rejection; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015508:Nasal Obstruction / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009666:Nose / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D011446:Prospective Studies; D023842:Rhinometry, Acoustic; D012225:Rhinoplasty / Q000379:methods*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D019737:Transplants; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult