Rod J. Rohrich, MD
Dallas, Texas (PRWEB) June 25, 2015
In a recent presentation as an Honorary Visiting Professor before the 46th National Congress of Plastic Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Dallas plastic surgeon, Dr. Rod J. Rohrich, discussed the use of grafts for addressing the nasal tip while performing rhinoplasty.
In rhinoplasty and secondary rhinoplasty, grafts are carefully shaped pieces of material which are used in order to provide a better framework of structural support in the process of reshaping the nose. Grafts are usually made from the patient's own cartilage taken from another area such as the septum, rib, or ear, although they can also be made from other soft tissues, bone, or even synthetic materials. In his presentation, Dr. Rohrich warns that the use of such grafts is not usually needed in primary Rhinoplasty, specifically for reshaping the nasal tip, due in part to unpredictable results and the overall high prevalence of complications of those methods. Using an open approach, says Dr. Rohrich, allows surgeons to use native cartilages in the nasal tip, giving better and more predictable long term results in most cases.
"For the best results long term, it's generally recommended to avoid the use of grafts in the nasal tip in primary rhinoplasty, if possible," says Dr. Rohrich, who prefers to use the patient's own native tissues when performing rhinoplasty. "The key to mastering the complexities of rhinoplasty is to become an expert in a wide variety of rhinoplasty cartilage sparing and suture reshaping techniques that can maximize control during surgery."
Dr. Rohrich writes and lectures extensively on rhinoplasty, and is the chief author and editor of one of the leading textbooks on the subject, "Dallas Rhinoplasty: Nasal Surgery by the Masters," now in its third edition. He explains that, except in special circumstances, sutures are a far more reliable way to address many of the issues with the nasal tip without risking the long term complications that can sometimes occur with the use of nasal tip grafts. "For example," explains Dr. Rohrich. "Asymmetry in the tip of the nose can usually be addressed more gracefully and more predictably with sutures rather than grafts."
Secondary rhinoplasty patients, certain ethnicities , or patients with particularly thick nasal skin, will be more likely to benefit from the use of nasal tip grafts, though they will need to be evaluated on a case by case basis.
"Every surgery is unique, and rhinoplasty remains one of the most difficult procedures in all of plastic surgery," says Dr. Rohrich. "It is a surgery of great finesse, and the nasal tip is a particularly delicate area."
About Dr. Rod J. Rohrich
Dr. Rod J. Rohrich is a Distinguished Teaching Professor and Founding Chairman of the Department of Plastic Surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. Dr. Rohrich graduated from Baylor College of Medicine with high honors, and completed residencies at the University of Michigan Medical Center and fellowships at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard (hand/microsurgery) and Oxford University (pediatric plastic surgery). He has served as president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the largest organization of board certified plastic surgeons in the world. He repeatedly has been selected by his peers as one of America's best doctors, and twice has received one of his profession's highest honors, the Plastic Surgery Educational Foundation Distinguished Service Award, which recognizes his contributions to education in plastic surgery. Dr. Rohrich participates in and has led numerous associations and councils for the advancement of plastic and reconstructive surgery.