Do Lateral Crural Struts Always Add Width to the Nose? (photo)

The "parentheses deformity" is very common after a primary rhinoplasty where too much lower lateral cartilage was removed.  The lateral crural strut is designed to reinforce this weak lateral cartilage - thus providing for a better breathing and contour.  I have used both lateral crural struts and alar "batton" graphs to correct this type problem. If the graft is designed properly is should add very little width to your nose.

I would take the graft out of the nose or refine the edges of the tip.  Sometimes, lateral crural struts are necessary.  Sometimes, suturing existing cartilage can add sufficient strength.  This can be
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Lower lateral crural strut grafts shouldn't make the nose wider. I would suspect that it should help with the tip pinching you want addressed as it mainly improves the concave contour of the lower lateral crural cartilage. At the same time the grafts should help strength the area to prevent dynamic collapse while breathing.

Lateral crural struts add width to the lower third of the nose just above the alar crease where they are placed and will help with valve collapse and pinching.  A shield graft will also help along the dorsal aesthetic line area for added width in that area and help improve breathing.  These also help with breathing.  It is difficult to show what these types of grafts will do on computer imaging since the computer imaging is 1 dimensional and the nose is 3 dimensional.

In general, the lateral crural strut grafts give better support to the lateral crura. It may make the appearance a bit wider and less pinched.