title: Ultrasonographic evaluation of long-term results of nasal tip defatting in rhinoplasty cases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Nasal skin thickness has an important role in aesthetic results of rhinoplasty. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term results of tip and supratip skin defatting technique in rhinoplasty subjects using ultrasonography.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, randomized, case-control study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Among 111 rhinoplasty cases referred to a university hospital between February 2010 and September 2011, after physical examination and measuring the nasal tip and supratip skin thickness by ultrasonography, a total of 55 patients with thick and moderate skin were randomly allocated for rhinoplasty using one of the following methods: rhinoplasty with (case group) and without (control group) defatting tip and supratip skin. Ultrasonographic evaluation of the skins was repeated 1 and 12 months after surgery, and the data were analyzed by Wilcoxon and repeated measure tests using SPSS 17 software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-eight of 55 candidates (10 men, 45 women; mean age, 25.1 ± 7.6 years) underwent skin defatting during rhinoplasty; the other 27 patients did not undergo this procedure. Forty-four patients completed the study. Thickness of tip and supratip skin was not statistically different before surgery and during follow-up evaluations in defatting and nondefatting technique groups (P = .7).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Defatting techniques have no effect on reducing tip and supratip skin thickness after rhinoplasty in moderate to thick skins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Amiralmomenin Hospital, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran.
authors.forename: Shadman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nemati
authors.forename: Rahmatollah
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Banan
authors.forename: Ahmad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alizadeh
authors.forename: Ehsan Kazemnejad
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Leili
authors.forename: Hassan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kerdari
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004954:Esthetics; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009666:Nose / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012225:Rhinoplasty / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D050151:Subcutaneous Fat / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014463:Ultrasonography; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Level of Evidence: 1b; Rhinoplasty; defatting; skin thickness; ultrasonography