Our experience in open rhinoplasty.

AIM: The last decade the external approach has gained enormous popularity in rhinoplastic surgery and it is a relatively new technique in Greece for the correction of functional and aesthetic problems of the nose. We introduce our experience in open rhinoplasty, we describe the operative technique, its advantages. MATERIAL-METHODS: In a period of two years (2003-2005), 98 patients underwent open rhinoplasty in our department. In 42 of them, breathing problems were existed in combination with nasal deformities. Eighty seven patients underwent septo/rhinoplasty under general anesthesia and the other 11 under local anesthesia. RESULTS: The postoperative course was uneventful, painless and without postoperative bleeding in all patients. Postoperative photo documentation was performed in all of them after 1, 3, 6, and 12 months. Only two patients needed to undergo revision surgery (the first patient due to "polly beak" deformity and the second one due to postoperative nasal valve stenosis). The scar of broken columella incision was invisible in all patents some weeks postoperatively. CONCLUSION: In open approach in Rhinoplasty, as provides a full exposure of the osseocartilaginous vault, it is much more easier to perform all the modern rhinoplasty techniques with sutures, biological and non biological materials, to modify the nasal tip deformities and asymmetries and to gain an aesthetic result balanced with the other facial components. Its disadvantages are minimal, that's why it becomes every day more popular all over the world.