Columellar Scar Following Open Rhinoplasty Using Absorbable Suture Versus Nonabsorbable Suture: A Meta-Analysis

Kenny H, Jonas RH, Oyer S.

What this paper says

Pooling six studies with 435 patients, the columellar scar after open rhinoplasty looked the same in the long term whether it was closed with absorbable or non-absorbable sutures, by both patient and surgeon ratings.

Overview

Absorbable sutures save the patient a suture-removal visit; non-absorbable sutures are traditionally thought to give finer scars. The authors searched PubMed, OVID Medline, Conference Papers Index, Web of Science, Cochrane and ClinicalTrials.gov and pooled the comparative studies.

Sections of note

Six studies, 435 patients, in the systematic review.
Five studies pooled for patient-reported scar outcomes; six for physician-reported.
No significant difference in scar appearance between suture types for either patient or physician ratings.
Search terms covered columellar, transcolumellar, rhinoplasty, septorhinoplasty and scar variants.

What it means for a patient

The type of stitch used on the columella does not appear to affect how the scar ends up looking.
Absorbable sutures avoid the discomfort of removal at about one week.
Six studies is a small evidence base.

Why this paper matters

It answers a routine practical question with the available comparative data. Limits: few studies, varied scar scales, follow-up durations not stated in the abstract.

Terms

Absorbable suture: a stitch that dissolves on its own over days to weeks.
Non-absorbable suture: a stitch (often nylon or polypropylene) that must be removed.
Columellar incision: the external cut across the columella in open rhinoplasty.
Meta-analysis: a statistical pooling of results from several studies.

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

From the abstract

“This meta-analysis seeks to determine whether a difference in long-term scar outcomes exists between absorbable and nonabsorbable sutures for closure of the columellar incision after open rhinoplasty. Review Methods: PubMed, OVID Medline, Conference Papers Index, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and…”

Excerpt; the full abstract is on PubMed.