Question:
I have heard a lot of controversy regarding the external rhinoplasty approach versus what people call the closed rhinoplasty approach. Isn’t it true that you can get scarring with the external approach?
Answer:
There has been an ongoing debate amongst surgeons who do the external or open rhinoplasty versus those that use the closed or endonasal technique. I personally prefer the external approach for a number of reasons, the most important of which is it permits the best visualization of the nasal structures as they will exist after the surgery is completed. Through an incision made in the nostrils and connected up to a tiny gull wing incision on the bottom of the nose, the entire cartilage and bone support of the nose can be visualized and then maneuvers can be done to do sculpting and refining of the nose. Another advantage of the external approach is that it does not involve weakening of the external support of the nose.
Posted by Jeffrey S. Epstein, MD, FACS