Can hanging columella & excess scar tissue be improved without a major surgery (local anesthesia or steroid improvement)?(Photo)

Question

I had a rhinoplasty/septoplasty in '02 and a revision in '07. Both were open technique. I am happy with the improvements on my nose but not with the resulting hanging columella and a lot of what appears to be hard cartilage/scar tissue in the septum. I really don't want to go for another major surgery now or have general anesthesia but want to know if there is a simple procedure that can improve the columella/remove some of the scar tissue. I am not looking for perfection- just improvement

Evan Ransom, MD, FACS · Answer

Thank you for the pictures and your questions. In rhinoplasty, the more times the nose has been operated, the more difficult modifications become. The hanging columella is a problem in the tip cartilages. In your case, it looks like these are bowed outward. There are more or less involved ways of dealing with this -- from shaving the front of the cartilages to repositioning them more posteriorly. In some cases, tip work can be done under local anesthesia in the office. This is very patient-specific, however. Please visit with your surgeon to discuss your specific case.

Richard W. Fleming, MD (retired) · Answer

This can be accomplished under local anesthesia with a relatively minor procedure. This is not a simple procedure but is relatively minor in the hands of a rhinoplasty surgeon.

Can hanging columella & excess scar tissue be improved without a major surgery (local anesthesia or steroid improvement)?(Photo)

Answers (2)