What is mid vault collapse?

Dear rosiecon11 in Beverly Hills, CA:
The word “collapse” is a bit scary. It is not a collapse like when a roof
collapses under 10 feet of snow or collapses during a fire. While this is analogous to the roof of the
nose, the reference to collapse is that there is a little bit of weakness and
sometimes a structural “dip” between the nasal bones and the cartilage called
the upper lateral cartilage that occupies the upper third of the nose. Sometimes it can come from injuries,
sometimes it comes from surgery, and sometimes people are just born with weaker
cartilages. In itself it is a cosmetic
issue, but when the cartilages are very, very weak, if the patient has a
particular type of nasal obstruction, one may see these cartilages move inward
with deep inspiration. If the problem is
a cosmetic nuisance and not impinging on the breathing or worsening it, then it
can be corrected either with surgery or by a non-surgical technique including
temporary or permanent fillers.
The best advice is to have consultation with a surgeon
who majors in rhinoplasty and has a long run of experience and a high degree of
specialization. Check out the websites,
look at the patient reviews on review sites such a RealSelf and the others, and
look at the doctors’ before-and-after photos and see how similar cases have
been managed. When you do go for
consultation, be sure to have computer imaging and ask about whether if a
weakness of the middle third of your face is indeed a problem that can be
corrected using a temporary or permanent filler.
Best wishes,
Robert
Kotler, MD, FACS

Over
4,500 nasal procedures performed

The midvault is the middle third of the nose between the tip and the bone portion of the bridge. If it is collapsed the cartilage in that portion of the bridge is not providing proper architectural support so the airway can collapse during inspiration. if the collapse is significant the lower edges of the nasal bones in the upper third of the bridge are visible as an inverted V. The condition is treated with cartilage grafts.

Mid vault collapse  means that the central part of your nose is pushed in so that your nose looks like an hourglass. This can be corrected with cartilage grafts. If you look on my website as well as those of other surgeons you'll see examples of this correction as well as the photo of my patient next to this answer under featured doctors.