Woman treated with Rhinoplasty as well as Septoplasty. Patient was trampled by a horse approximately a decade ago prior to surgery. It resulted in deviation of her nose and nasal obstruction that was so severe that she was only able to breathe through her mouth. In addition to wanting to improve her breathing, she desired to straighten her nose while maintaining her natural appearance.
A functional rhinoplasty with septoplasty was performed using an external (open) approach. The external approach provides optimal visualization and access to the structures of the nose. An important step in the case was to straighten the septum. It involved releasing a significant amount of scar tissue that had formed due to the trauma. The fractured and deviated cartilage at the center of the septum was removed, and the remainder of the cartilage was repositioned in a straight position. A sufficient amount of cartilage was maintained at the septum to ensure adequate support of the nose. A specialized suturing technique (clocking sutures) was utilized to help with straightening the septum. In addition, a caudal septal extension graft was created from her own cartilage to provide support for the tip of the nose. The remaining structural elements of the nose were then able to be aligned based on the straight and strong foundation.
(Sep 30, 2020)