Section 4 Plastic and Reconstructive Problems

Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery s !PRIL

Fig. 2. Analysis of planned and obtained changes in nasal tip projection, nasal tip rotation, and nasal profile proportions. NLA , nasolabial angle; GR , Goode ratio; NTP , nasal tip projection.

average length of postoperative follow-up was 14.8 months (range, 12 to 25 months). Distribution analysis of planned changes in nasal tip projection demonstrates that, in 32 per- cent of our cases, a projection increase of more than 1 percent was planned preoperatively. In 19 percent of our cases, a projection increase of more than 3 percent was planned; in only 9 percent of our cases a projection increase of more than 5 percent was planned (Table 2). Distribution analysis of obtained changes in nasal tip projection has shown that, in 42 percent of our cases, a projection increase of more than 1 percent was obtained. In 27 percent of our cases, a projection increase of more than 3 percent was obtained; and in only 15 percent of our cases, a projection increase of more than 5 percent was obtained (Table 3). The differences in distribution between planned and obtained changes were not statistically significant in any interval. Table 2. Distribution of Planned Changes in Nasal Tip Projection ( n = 100 patients) Planned Change No. (%) >5% decrease 10 (10) >3% decrease 23 (23) >1% decrease 32 (32) Difference <1% 36 (36) >1% increase 32 (32) >3% increase 19 (19) >5% increase 9 (9)

In the overall study population, the preopera- tive nasal tip projection (211.2 ± 37.7 pixels) was not significantly different from morphed nasal tip projection (210.4 ± 35.7 pixels) and postoperative nasal tip projection (213.1 ± 37.4 pixels) (Table 4). In the overall study population, the Pearson para- metric correlation coefficient between planned and obtained changes in nasal tip projection was 0.791, which was indicative of a strong, statistically significant correlation ( p < 0.0001). Primary rhi- noplasty did not demonstrate a universal trend toward either an increase or a decrease in nasal tip projection. In the “planned increase in nasal tip projec- tion” cohort, both morphed nasal tip projection (212.6 ± 45.3 pixels) and postoperative nasal tip projection (214.5 ± 45.8 pixels) were signifi- cantly higher than preoperative nasal tip projec- tion (204.8 ± 45.9 pixels) ( p < 0.0001). There Table 3. Distribution of Actual Changes in Nasal Tip Projection ( n = 100 patients) Actual Changes No. (%) >%5 decrease 6 (6) >3% decrease 17 (17) <1% decrease 31 (31) Difference <1% 26 (26) >1% increase 42 (42) >3% increase 27 (27) >5% increase 15 (15)