A New Classification of Pollybeak Deformity and Its Treatment in Asian Rhinoplasty

Wang X, Zhao H, Sun Y, Xiong X, Meng X, Li W, Qiao Z, Zeng W, Yang K, Tian Y.

What this paper says

In 53 patients treated for fullness above the nasal tip, a new rating scale fell from 2.34 to 0.23 and 77.36 percent were satisfied, with no complications reported.

Overview

Pollybeak deformity is fullness in the area just above the tip, which makes the profile resemble a parrot's beak. It occurs after both first time and revision rhinoplasty and is difficult to correct. The authors reviewed 53 patients treated between 2021 and 2022, and developed a modified classification, the Supratip Fullness Rating Scale, to grade the deformity objectively.

Sections of note

Design: retrospective chart review, 53 patients. Level of evidence IV.
A new grading tool, the Supratip Fullness Rating Scale, was developed for this study.
Surgeons rated aesthetic outcome on a visual analog scale; patients rated their own result on the Rhinoplasty Outcome Evaluation scale.
Mean supratip fullness score fell from 2.34 with standard deviation 0.65 to 0.23 with standard deviation 0.42.
Mean visual analog score fell from 7.47 to 1.79.
Satisfaction rate by the Rhinoplasty Outcome Evaluation was 77.36 percent.
No complications were reported.
No follow up length is stated in the abstract.

What it means for a patient

The fullness measures improved substantially, close to the bottom of the new scale.
Roughly one in four patients was not satisfied despite the measured improvement, which reflects how demanding revision of this deformity is.
The rating scale was created by the same authors for this study and has not been independently validated.
Limits: 53 patients, retrospective, no comparison group, no stated follow up period, and no complications reported without a stated tracking method.

Why this paper matters

Pollybeak is among the most common reasons patients seek revision after rhinoplasty, and it has lacked an agreed way to grade severity. A defined scale would allow surgeons to compare results across studies. Whether this scale is reliable in other hands, and whether the correction lasts, is untested.

Terms

Pollybeak deformity: fullness above the nasal tip creating a beak like profile.
Supratip: the area of the bridge just above the nasal tip.
Visual analog scale: a line on which severity or quality is marked.
Rhinoplasty Outcome Evaluation: a patient questionnaire scoring satisfaction with the nose.
Classification system: a scheme sorting cases into graded categories.

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

From the abstract

“Supratip deformity, also known as pollybeak deformity, is a common complication of primary and secondary rhinoplasty, characterized by fullness in the supratip region. The correction of pollybeak deformity is a challenging procedure, and its management requires a thorough understanding of the pathogenic mechanism of…”

Excerpt; the full abstract is on PubMed.