Operative techniques in Asian rhinoplasty

Kim EK, Daniel RK.

What this paper says

This article lays out a nine-step rhinoplasty for the Asian nose using only the patient's own tissue, which the authors say matches the results of silicone implants without their risks; the abstract reports no patient counts.

Overview

Most Asian noses have thick skin, a low root and bridge, a rounded tip, weak tip cartilages and a short columella. Silicone implants have been the common fix but carry infection and extrusion risk. The authors describe an all-autogenous sequence that addresses each feature.

Sections of note

Technique article; no series size, outcomes or complication rates are given in the abstract.
Nine steps: harvesting grafts; open approach with skin defatting; septal harvest; septocolumellar graft; tip refinement; radix and dorsal augmentation; osteotomies; alar base modification; closure and casting.
The approach is described as autogenous, avoiding alloplastic implants.
Aesthetic results are stated to be comparable to silicone implants.

What it means for a patient

The Asian nose can be raised, lengthened and defined with the patient's own cartilage, taken from the septum, ear or rib, instead of a silicone implant.
Thinning the thick skin from underneath and a strong tip support graft are part of the plan.
The claim that results equal silicone is stated without data in the abstract; surgery with the patient's own tissue involves a second harvest site.

Why this paper matters

It codifies an all-autogenous alternative in a population where synthetic implants dominate, from a group that later published widely on Asian and structural rhinoplasty. Comparative outcome data versus implants are not provided.

Terms

Autogenous graft: tissue taken from the patient's own body.
Alloplastic implant: a manufactured synthetic implant such as silicone.
Skin defatting: thinning the fat layer under thick nasal skin to improve definition.
Septocolumellar graft: cartilage fixed from the septum down into the columella to lengthen and support the tip.
Radix: the root of the nose, between the eyes.
Alar base modification: narrowing or reshaping where the nostrils meet the face.

Summary written by rhinoplasty.cc from the abstract, 2026-09-08; not medical advice. The authors' own abstract follows.

From the abstract

“Rhinoplasty in patients of Asian descent presents a different set of challenges for rhinoplasty surgeons. Most Asian noses are characterized by a thick skin envelope, low radix and dorsum, bulbous tip, weak lower lateral cartilages, and a short columella. In this article, the authors describe an autogenous approach to…”

Excerpt; the full abstract is on PubMed.