title: Supratip-plasty: a completely cartilaginous tip complex to maintain nasal tip width.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Following primary rhinoplasty, the nasal tip may become wider on front view, possibly due to splaying of the lateral crura.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The authors describe a technique, the "supratip-plasty," to create an all-cartilaginous supratip that resists splaying and postoperative broadening of the nasal tip complex.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirteen consecutive primary rhinoplasty patients (10 women; 3 men) with broad nasal tips received a supratip-plasty (which preserved the cephalic part of the lateral crus, reducing it in size and securing it to the dorsal septum, resulting in a completely cartilaginous tip framework) and were followed for 11 to 17 months. Since the frontal tip width (TW) is relative to the frontal nasal base width (NBW), the TW/NBW ratio was contrasted to that of 19 unoperated aesthetically pleasing nasal tips.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 13 cases, all but 1 were considered to have a good result. The preoperative mean TW/NBW ratio was 0.68. The postoperative mean was 0.53, compared with 0.48 in the unoperated aesthetic tip group. No tip revisions were necessary; however, 2 patients did require revisionary surgery for nontip problems.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preserving a cephalic island of lateral crus, trimming it to fit the new supratip contour following suture tip-plasty, and securing it to the septum provides a completely cartilaginous nasal tip framework that tends not to widen postoperatively.
authors: Dr Gruber is an Associate Clinical Professor in the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, and Associate Clinical Professor in the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of California, San Francisco.
authors: Ronald P
authors: RP
authors: Gruber
authors: Edwin
authors: E
authors: Kwon
authors: Aaron
authors: A
authors: Berger
authors: Kyle A
authors: KA
authors: Belek
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D059925:Anatomic Landmarks; D004954:Esthetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009300:Nasal Septum / Q000601:surgery; D009666:Nose / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D012225:Rhinoplasty / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: lateral crus; nasal tip; rhinoplasty; supratip deformity; tip-plasty