Reinserting the Hump in Primary Rhinoplasty: The Gain Is Three-fold

BACKGROUND Hump reduction in aesthetic rhinoplasty destabilizes the middle vault. Secondary maneuvers are necessary to avoid the long-term functional and aesthetic sequelae of middle vault collapse. We describe a new technique of reinserting the resected hump that combines (a) placement of the modified hump between the upper laterals and (b) bridging sutures between the upper laterals. METHODS Retrospective review of patients undergoing primary aesthetic rhinoplasty with hump resection. RESULTS Sixty-two patients, 46 with a straight and 16 with a deviated nose, enrolled. Twenty-three patients were operated through an open approach and 39 through a closed approach. Osteotomies were necessary in 56 patients. Mean follow-up was 13 months (range, 9-16 mo). A satisfactory result was achieved in all but 3 patients who had visible irregularities. Two of them required minimal rasping under local anesthesia and the third patient refused any further treatment. CONCLUSIONS Our modification of Skoog's original technique has certain advantages: the hump acts as a spreader and onlay graft, which preserves the natural dorsal lines. The sutures increase the nasal valve angle while preventing displacement of the reinserted hump. Indications include a straight or mildly deviated nose, a long thin-skinned nose with short nasal bones. The technique is also feasible through the closed or open approach and offers a valuable alternative to spreader grafts or flaps.