Question:
What are the most common changes you make when performing rhinoplasty on African American patients and how do you make these changes?
Answer:
Many African American patients are looking to decrease the width of the nose at the upper nasal bone area and minimize the size of the nasal tip and nostrils. It is also common to add projection on the profile view. In order to increase projection, numerous grafts like plumping grafts, a columellar strut and a shield graft can be used. Once this is achieved, the nasal bones of the bridge or dorsum are built up to match the new increase in the tip projection. The nostrils are then narrowed with a nasal base reduction in which small incisions are made on the side of the nostrils to remove tissue.
