Closed Rhinoplasty to widen a narrow nose

Some patients are born with an unnaturally narrow nose and would like to have it cosmetically widened according to Seattle facial plastic surgeon Dr William Portuese | Seattle WA . Other patients are born with an “hourglass deformity” which means they have pinched or very narrowed upper lateral cartilages in the mid-portion of the nose. Typically these patients have wide nasal bones, a dorsal hump, and a wide tip. The inverted upper lateral cartilages appear concave and relatively speaking, can make the tip look more bulbous and the bridge look wider. To widen a narrow nose requires osteotomies placed in the nasal bones, which include both medial and lateral osteotomies. The medial osteotomies are placed at the junction between the upper lateral cartilage and the lower portion of the nasal bones. Instead of narrowing the nasal bones, they’re actually cantilevered out more widely, also known as reverse osteotomies. Cartilaginous spreader grafts are then inserted in the space where the medial osteotomies were placed to hold the nasal bones open in their new wider position. The cartilaginous spreader grafts can be harvested from the dorsal hump that’s been removed or from inside the nose from nasal septal cartilage. The spreader grafts are also placed in a sub-perichondrial and sub- periosteal pocket. It’s also important to make sure the tip of the nose balances with the new bridge line. In some patients the tip may need to be narrowed, and other patients, the tip needs to be widened. A conservative cartilage removal is required to narrow the tip, while cartilage-grafting techniques are required to widen it. Rhinoplasty is a very difficult endeavor, so is very important to choose a rhinoplasty specialist based on extensive experience performing osteotomies, spreader grafts, and advanced bone and cartilage work to create a natural appearance. Dr. William Portuese | Seattle  performs all of his nasal surgery procedures at the Seattle Rhinoplasty Center, which is a state-of-the-art Medicare certified outpatient surgery center located in Seattle Washington