Nasal valve suspension: an improved, simplified technique for nasal valve collapse.

INTRODUCTION Nasal valve collapse is a common cause of nasal airway obstruction. The valve area is commonly weakened secondary to rhinoplasty, aging, trauma, and other causes. The complexity of nasal valve repair techniques and its variable results combined with the fact that patients with valve collapse have often had previous surgery or are of advanced age are some of the reasons that this problem often goes untreated. Often, the problem is not even diagnosed until surgical treatment, such as septoplasty or turbinate reduction, has failed to correct the patient’s symptoms of nasal airway obstruction. Paniello published a preliminary report on 12 patients in which a simplified technique for nasal valve repair was used that involved suspension of the valve to the orbital rim. His technique was shown to be effective in improving the nasal airway. Since 1997, we have used this technique in more than 100 patients with significant modifications that will be described. The modified technique is simpler, safer, and equally effective. It is based on the use of a soft-tissue bone-anchor system that provides a simplified support of the valve area to the orbital rim.