The Virtual Nose: Assessment of Static Nasal Airway Obstruction Using Computational Simulations and 3D-Printed Models.

Background: The use of virtual noses to predict the outcome of surgery is of increasing interests, particularly, as detailed and objective pre- and postoperative assessments of nasal airway obstruction (NAO) are difficult to perform. The objective of this article is to validate predictions using virtual noses against their experimentally measured counterpart in rigid 3D-printed models. Methods: Virtual nose models, with and without NAO, were reconstructed from patients' cone beam computed tomography scans, and used to evaluate airflow characteristics through computational fluid dynamics simulations. Prototypes of the reconstructed models were 3D printed and instrumented experimentally for pressure measurements. Results: Correlation between the numerical predictions and experimental measurements was shown. Analysis of the flow field indicated that the NAO in the nasal valve increases significantly the wall pressure, shear stress, and incremental nasal resistance behind the obstruction. Conclusions: Airflow predictions in static virtual noses correlate well with detailed experimental measurements on 3D-printed replicas of patient airways.

Rhinosurgery during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic: International Consensus Conference Statement on Preliminary Perioperative Safety Measures.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has widely affected rhinosurgery, given the high risk of contagion and the elective nature of the aesthetic procedure, generating many questions on how to ensure safety. The Science and Research Committee of the Rhinoplasty Society of Europe aimed at preparing consensus recommendations on safe rhinosurgery in general during the COVID-19 pandemic by appointing an international panel of experts also including delegates of The Rhinoplasty Society. METHODS: A Zoom meeting was performed with a panel of 14 international leading experts in rhinosurgery. During 3.5 hours, four categories of questions on preoperative safety measures in private practice and outpatient clinics, patient assessment before and during surgery, and legal issues were presented by four chairs and discussed by the expert group. Afterward, the panelists were requested to express an online, electronic vote on each category and question. The panel's recommendations were based on current evidence and expert opinions. The resulting report was circulated in an iterative open e-mail process until consensus was obtained. RESULTS: Consensus was obtained in several important points on how to safely restart performing rhinosurgery in general. Preliminary recommendations with different levels of agreement were prepared and condensed in a bundle of safety measures. CONCLUSION: The implementation of the panel's recommendations may improve safety of rhinoplasty by avoiding operating on nondetected COVID-19 patients and minimizing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virus spread in outpatient clinics and operating rooms.

Preservation Rhinoplasty and the Crooked Nose.

Crooked or deviated noses pose a specific challenge as many of the elements in a deviated nose are not symmetric and therefore not ideal for preservation techniques. Deviated noses are often where a hybridization between preservation and structural rhinoplasty is required. Careful preoperative evaluation of the soft tissue and bony anatomy of the patient is very important and congenital or post-traumatic asymmetry may involve more than the nasal pyramid. Full exposure of the nasal pyramid allows for visualization and appropriate osteotomy or rhinosculpture.

Elite and Professional sports facial injuries management - a consensus report.

Whilst there have been great improvements in the management of elite and professional athletes with the formalisation of the clinical specialty of Sports and Exercise medicine, the management of facial injuries has perhaps lagged in this group. Professional athletic careers can be put in jeopardy due to unnecessarily long absences from training and competition after facial injuries. Professional and elite sports athletes can benefit from different approaches to the management of their facial injuries to reduce time away from competing but maximise their safety. On 6th December 2018, a consensus meeting of interested clinicians involved in the management of facial injuries of elite and professional athletes was held at the Royal Society of Medicine, London, UK to provide a contemporary review of the approaches to conservative, operative and recovery management of facial injuries. National experts with specialist experience of facial injuries presentation and athlete needs from a range of elite and professional sports led the day's programme and the discussions so that guidelines could be formulated. These are presented in this review paper.

Dorsal Preservation Rhinoplasty: Core Beam Computed Tomography Analysis of the Nasal Vault, Septum, and Skull Base-Its Role in Surgical Planning.

Dorsal preservation rhinoplasty in cases of a convex or overprojected noses has significant advantages over resection and reconstruction of the dorsum. Analysis of the subdorsal septum in relation to the radix osteotomy to achieve a drop or hinge of the natural dorsum is important in avoiding possible complications involving the skull base, frontal sinus, and subsequent radix position. In the majority of patients, simple cut release of the perpendicular plate rather than resection superiorly may be necessary where the quadrangular cartilage junction with the perpendicular plate is caudal to the radix osteotomy. Computed tomography is helpful in delineating this position as well as providing information on the frontal sinus and position of the cribriform plate prerhinoplasty.

Beyond the L-Strut: Redefining the Biomechanics of Rhinoplasty Using Topographic Optimization Modeling.

Rhinoplasty utilizes cartilage harvested from the nasal septum as autologous graft material. Traditional dogma espouses preservation of the "L-strut" of dorsal and caudal septum, which is less resistant to axial loading than virgin septum. Considering the 90° angle between dorsal and caudal limbs, the traditional L-strut also suffers from localized increases in internal stresses leading to premature septal "cracking," structural-scale deformation, or both. Deformation and failure of the L-strut leads to nasal deviation, saddle deformity, loss of tip support, or restriction of the nasal valve. The balance between cartilage yield and structural integrity is a topographical optimization problem. Guided by finite element (FE) modelling, recent efforts have yielded important modifications including the chamfering of right-angled corners to reduce stress concentrations and the preservation of a minimum width along the inferior portion of the caudal strut. However, all existing FE studies offer simplified assumptions to make the construct easier to model. This review article highlights advances in our understanding of septal engineering and identifies areas that require more work to further refine the balance between the competing interests of graft acquisition and the maintenance of nasal structural integrity.

Revision Rhinoplasty: What Can We Learn from Error Patterns? An Analysis of Revision Surgery.

Of the many challenges in rhinoplasty, achieving a satisfactory outcome at the first operation is important. There are multiple reasons for secondary surgery, and generally revisions can be broadly classified into minor (often one area of deficit) or a total redo. Understanding the common technical reasons for failure in primary surgery by analyzing the deformities has resulted in various error patterns emerging. Understanding these patterns means we can modify techniques in primary surgery to reduce the incidence of revision. This article describes our prospective revision rhinoplasty experience over 5 and then 2 years, highlighting the main error patterns encountered. We also describe a stepwise analysis of four frequently encountered key problem areas alongside techniques to address them and offer pearls to help prevent further revision. Comparison of two cohorts of patients from a teaching hospital setting and private practice with the same operating surgeon indicates an increasing tendency to the open approach for revisions. The re-revision rates for these groups are 15.7 and 9%, respectively. Revision rhinoplasty is a difficult operation to perform to the satisfaction of both the surgeon and the patient. Understanding the common technical reasons for failure in primary surgery by fully analyzing the deformities means we can modify techniques in primary surgery to reduce the incidence of revision.

Self-Report Scales to Measure Expectations and Appearance-Related Psychosocial Distress in Patients Seeking Cosmetic Treatments.

BACKGROUND: The use of screening scales in cosmetic practices may help to identify patients who require education to modify inappropriate expectations and/or psychological support. OBJECTIVES: To describe the development and validation of scales that measure expectations (about how one's appearance and quality of life might change with cosmetic treatments) and appearance-related psychosocial distress. METHODS: The scales were field-tested in patients 18 years and older seeking facial aesthetic or body contouring treatments. Recruitment took place in clinics in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada between February 2010 and January 2015. Rasch Measurement Theory (RMT) analysis was used for psychometric evaluation. Scale scores range from 0 to 100; higher scores indicate more inappropriate expectations and higher psychosocial distress. RESULTS: Facial aesthetic (n = 279) and body contouring (n = 90) patients participated (97% response). In the RMT analysis, all items had ordered thresholds and acceptable item fit. Person Separation Index and Cronbach alpha values were 0.88 and 0.92 for the Expectation scale, and 0.81 and 0.89 for the Psychosocial Distress scale respectively. Higher expectation correlated with higher psychosocial distress (R = 0.40, P < .001). In the facial aesthetic group, lower scores on the FACE-Q Satisfaction with Appearance scale correlated with higher expectations (R = -0.27, P = .001) and psychosocial distress (R = -0.52, P < .001). In the body contouring group, lower scores on the BODY-Q Satisfaction with Body scale correlated with higher psychosocial distress (R = -0.31, P = .003). Type of treatment and marital status were associated with scale scores in multivariate models. CONCLUSIONS: Future research could examine convergent and predictive validity. As research data are accumulated, norms and interpretation guidelines will be established. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2 Risk.

Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the FACE-Q Scales for Patients Undergoing Rhinoplasty.

IMPORTANCE: Rhinoplasty continues to rank among the most popular cosmetic surgical treatments. Measuring what the nose looks like has typically involved the use of observer-reported or physician-reported outcome measures (eg, photographs). While objective outcomes are important, facial appearance is subjective, and asking patients what they think about the appearance of their nose is of paramount importance. The patient perspective can be measured using patient-reported outcome instruments. OBJECTIVE: To describe the development and psychometric evaluation of the FACE-Q scales and adverse effects checklist designed to measure rhinoplasty outcomes. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A questionnaire was completed by patients recruited between July 13, 2010, and March 1, 2015. Psychometric methods were used to select the most clinically sensitive items for inclusion in item-reduced scales as well as to examine reliability, validity, and ability to detect clinical change. The setting was plastic surgery clinics in the United States, England, and Canada. Participants were preoperative and postoperative patients 18 years or older undergoing rhinoplasty. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Responses and validation measures of the FACE-Q scales and adverse effects checklist. RESULTS: In total, 158 of 169 patients invited to participate in the study were enrolled (response rate, 93.5%). The most common adverse effect was the skin of the nose looking thick or swollen. Rasch measurement theory analysis led to the refinement of a 10-item Satisfaction With Nose Scale and a 5-item Satisfaction With Nostrils Scale. The person separation index and Cronbach α were 0.91 and 0.96, respectively, for the Satisfaction With Nose Scale and 0.89 and 0.96, respectively, for the Satisfaction With Nostrils Scale. All items had ordered thresholds and good item fit. Satisfaction with the nose and nostrils was incrementally lower in participants bothered by specific adverse effects (eg, the skin of the nose looking thick or swollen). Patient satisfaction on the Satisfaction With Nose Scale and the Satisfaction With Nostrils Scale and on 3 additional FACE-Q scales (ie, Satisfaction With Facial Appearance Scale, Psychological Function Scale, and Social Function Scale) was higher after surgery than before surgery (P < .001 for all, independent samples t test). Twenty-three participants who provided preoperative and postoperative data reported improvement on all 5 scales (P ≤ .003 for all). The effect sizes ranged from 0.6 to 2.3. Significant individual-level change was reported by most participants for the Satisfaction With Nose Scale, Satisfaction With Nostrils Scale, Satisfaction With Facial Appearance Scale, and Social Function Scale. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: A FACE-Q scales rhinoplasty module can be used in clinical practice, research, and quality improvement to incorporate the patient perspective in outcome assessments. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: NA.

Frontoethmoidal mucocele following pediatric craniofacial surgery.

BACKGROUND: Mucoceles occur as a result of accumulation and retention of mucous secretions in a paranasal sinus and are uncommon in the pediatric age group. Persistent or intermittent closure of its ostium through a variety of causes, including previous surgery, is implicated in etiology. The authors report 2 cases of frontoethmoidal mucocele that followed box osteotomies for the treatment of orbital dystopia, with medical literature review and discussion of possible causal factors and events. METHODS: Case histories and radiological imaging are presented on 2 patients presenting with frontoethmoidal mucoceles following craniofacial surgery. Both had transcranial craniofacial techniques where all orbital walls and globe are moved en bloc as a "box." RESULTS: Patient 1, a 12-year-old male patient with Crouzon syndrome, developed mucoceles within 18 months of monobloc distraction surgery and box osteotomies. This was successfully marsupialized with a combined external and endoscopic surgical approach. The second patient, a 15-year-old boy with previously corrected right-sided facial cleft, developed mucocele 9 years following box osteotomies; this was successfully managed by endoscopic drainage. Of 3 other patients having similar box osteotomies in our unit, no other mucoceles were noted as complications. CONCLUSIONS: Mucoceles are a rare complication of craniofacial surgery, and literature review confirms a paucity of reports. Only 1 case has previously been alluded to of mucocele complicating box osteotomy for orbital dystopia. Our 2 cases illustrate and highlight a successful management approach in a multidisciplinary craniofacial unit.

Perioperative settings in rhinoplasty.

Rhinoplasty is a demanding procedure surrounded by a sequence of events. This array of events is set to be functional in a specific environment, generally acknowledged as settings. The perioperative settings in rhinoplasty constitute the core of a medical unit. They are the working tools in a surgeon's practice, providing support and safety to the patients. The purpose of this article is to identify the updated preoperative and postoperative settings in rhinoplasty, pointing out their role in the perioperative care of the patient.