title: Preservation of nostril morphology in nasal base reduction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Asian patients often desire reduction of the base and alar lobules of the Asian mesorrhine nose. Sill excision is commonly used, but may result in an angular or notched nostril rim.
  
  
  METHODS
  We developed an internal method of alar base reduction involving triangle flaps for sill resection. This method avoids alar rim notching and teardrop deformity. Cinching sutures and double-layer closure avoid tension on the wound. We categorized the results in 50 patients (4 men, 46 women) who underwent surgery between November 2012 and August 2015 and who could be followed up for more than 3 months. The mean age of the subjects was 26.3 years and the mean follow-up period was 8.9 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty patients underwent base reduction with the internal method, while ten with alar flare were treated with additional external resection. The mean reduction of the nostril sill width was 4.8 mm for both methods. In the subjects receiving flare resection, the mean reduction of the lateral alar width was 4.4 mm. There was no notching at the suture site. Complications included a short scar running obliquely under the sill in 13 patients and a trap door deformity in one patient.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nasal base reduction is widely performed, but subject to outcomes with abnormal nostril contour. We used triangle flaps to narrow the sill, and cinching sutures to prevent tension on the wound. Our methods prevent nostril notching and/or teardrop deformity. Scarring can occur, but can be reduced using cinching sutures for wound relaxation.
  
  
  METHODS
  This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.
authors.affiliation: Primo Azabujyuban Clinic, 2F 1-7-11, Azabujyuban, Minato-Ku, Tokyo, Japan. ohba@primo-clinic.jp.
authors.forename: Norihiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ohba
authors.affiliation: Primo Azabujyuban Clinic, 2F 1-7-11, Azabujyuban, Minato-Ku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Mayuko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ohba
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004954:Esthetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009666:Nose / Q000601:surgery; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012225:Rhinoplasty / Q000379:methods*; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000637:transplantation*; D013536:Suture Techniques; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Asian Continental Ancestry Group; Nasal surgical procedures; Plastic/MT; Surgery; Wound healing