Patient Photos

Revision Septo-Rhinoplasty To Correct Hanging Columela and Alar Retraction

This Portland revision rhinoplasty patient came to Dr. Thomas Lamperti to find out what could be done to correct the problems she was having with her nose following two prior rhinoplasty procedures in Southern California several years prior. Her main concern was her drooping, hanging columella and excessive columellar show. Dr. Lamperti noticed that she also had alar retraction contributing to this excessive columellar show along with supra-alar pinching related to prior cartilage removal. The patient wasn't concerned with the tip pinching so Dr. Lamperti performed an open revision rhinoplasty which included a septoplasty to harvest septal cartilage. A tongue in groove setback was done to place the droopy columella further up toward the septum. Luckily, the patient's septum was long enough to just use the septum as the anchor point. To improve the alar retraction rim grafts were also carved and placed to bring the alar margins down somewhat. In the 7 month postoperative photos you can see how the patient's tip is now much more harmonious with a nicely reduced columellar show and the alar margins are much better positioned. Dr. Lamperti was also careful to maintain the patient's current, pleasing tip rotation.