Correcting Different Degrees of Droopy Nose, an Overview of Techniques and Strategies at Tertiary Facial Plastic Center. A Retrospective Analysis

Abstract

Background: The variety of noses in the mixed Saudi population keeps rhinoplasty surgeons on their toes. The main treatment goal for drooping nose tips is the first rotation of the nasal tip superiorly. Although droopy nose is a common disease in Saudi Arabia, none of the previous studies recognized the general features of droopy nose. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 352 patients with nasal drooping nose from 2016 to 2022. The main outcome measurements were general characteristics of nasal tip ptosis, and the most common surgical techniques used to treat nasal tip ptosis in a tertiary hospital. Results: Analysis of 352 patients with droopy nose showed that 29.0% were between 25 and 29 years old, and 56.3% were female patients. The most common characteristic seen with droopy nasal tip was a significant dorsal hump in 64.8% of patients, followed by amorphous, boxy, and bulbous nasal tip in 33.5%. Significant dorsal hump and bifid tip were more common between 18 and 24. Meanwhile, amorphous, boxy, and bulbous nasal tip were more common in female individuals. The surgical techniques mostly addressed the underlying cause, which was tip grafting (83.0%), lateral osteotomy (77.3%), hump removal (66.5%), lateral crura method (61.9%), and septal extension graft (40.9%). Conclusions: The research concluded that the surgeon should be familiar with the patient’s underlying cause of nasal tip ptosis and use surgical techniques accordingly. To get a pleased long-term outcome, it is often essential to repair the inferiorly rotated tip using more than one surgical approach.