Difference Between Closed and Open Rhinoplasty?

Open rhinoplasty is a very common technique when the skin is lifted upward like the hood on a car. With the skin lifted upward, the underling framework can be seen directly. This allows changes to be made very precisely. The more complicated the rhinoplasty the more advantageous it is to use an open rhinoplasty technique. That being said there are still very experience rhinoplasty surgeons that can get great results using closed techniques. The best advise would be to choose a surgeon whose results and bedside manner you like best. then allow them to perform the rhinoplasty as they feel most comfortable. Good luck.

Open rhinoplasty is ideal for patients who desire tip modification. Closed rhinoplasty may be appropriate for patients who are just having a hump reduction. An open rhinoplasty gives the surgeon far greater visibility into the nasal anatomy and the freedom to make the desired changes to the tip. The open rhinoplasty incision heals really well and is imperceptible once healed. The video below explains open vs. closed rhinoplasty in great detail.

An open rhinoplasty is where the cut also goes across the columella (the bridge of skin that separates the nostrils). The scar is placed in a way that means it is virtually invisible other than when someone is looking very closely at you. Try drawing a line across this part of your nose (with washable ink!) and look in the mirror. It is surprising how dificult this is to see. In addition to this cut, there will still be cuts inside the nose, running parallel to the borders of the nostrils. A closed rhinoplasty is where only the cuts inside the nose are made. This was originally developed to be used to fix broken noses, where more refined work on the tip is not usually carried out.If you think your tip is absolutely fine, the closed approach might be right for you. If you think you need your tip working on, then the open technique is best (in my opinion).I prefer the open rhinoplasty technique whenever I am operating on the tip. In my opinion this allow much better visualisation of the skeleton of the nose, in particular, the tip of the nose. The tip is a very complex structure and requires sub-millimetre precision. My feeling is that this can only be achieved when the surgeon is able to get a proper look at the tip cartilages. The open approach also allows more precise placement of stitches and grafts to reshape the tip.  Occasionally (although, this is very rare in my practice) I find myself not operating on the tip. In such cases a closed approach can be suitable. However, I almost always find myself thinking that an open approach is best, just in case anything unexpected is found (such as previous trauma to the tip).These days, most surgeons perform open rhinoplasties. The number of surgeons performing closed surgery has been steadily reducing. However, there are some excellent senior surgeons who argue very convincingly that the closed approach is also very good for the tip.Thanks for the question, I hope you find this answer helpful.