Advocating the Use of Absorbable Sutures for Columellar Incisions Following Open Rhinoplasty

Beegun I, Saleh HA.

PubMed 28204928 Publisher (DOI)

What this paper says

The authors recommend closing the columellar incision after open rhinoplasty with rapidly absorbable stitches, which fall off on their own 10 to 14 days later instead of needing removal.

Overview

Open rhinoplasty leaves a small incision across the strip of skin between the nostrils. That incision is usually closed with stitches a nurse or surgeon must later remove at a follow-up visit. This short paper argues for using stitches that dissolve instead, and reports that patients accept the practice well.

Sections of note

The subject is closure of the columellar incision following open rhinoplasty.
Rapidly absorbable skin sutures are described as already useful in numerous other settings.
Removal does not routinely require trimming.
The sutures tend to fall off with minimal intervention 10 to 14 days after surgery.
The authors state the practice has good acceptance by patients.
Fewer resources are used during the follow-up period.
Level of evidence IV. The abstract states no patient numbers, scar outcome scores, infection rates, or comparison group.

What it means for a patient

The stitch under the nose can be one that dissolves, avoiding a separate visit to have it taken out.
The timeline given for the stitches coming away is 10 to 14 days.
No scar appearance data is reported, so this abstract does not show that the final scar looks the same as with removable stitches.
There is no comparison group and no numbers, so the claim of good patient acceptance is not measured here.

Why this paper matters

Suture choice for this one incision is a small but frequently debated detail, since the scar is the main criticism of the open approach. Removing a follow-up step has a practical cost benefit. Whether absorbable sutures produce an equal or better scar is not answered in this abstract.

Terms

Columellar incision: The small cut across the strip of skin between the nostrils used in open rhinoplasty.
Absorbable suture: A stitch made of material the body breaks down, so it does not need removing.
Open rhinoplasty: Surgery using that external incision to expose the nasal framework.
Level of evidence IV: A ranking indicating a case series or expert experience rather than a controlled trial.

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

From the abstract

“Rapidly absorbable skin sutures have been found to be of use in numerous settings including for the closure of the columellar incision following open rhinoplasty. Its removal does not routinely require trimming, and the sutures tend to fall off with minimal intervention 10-14 days postoperatively. This practice has a…”

Excerpt; the full abstract is on PubMed.