Augmentation rhinoplasty of the Asian nose may be effectively accomplished with alloplastic materials. However, certain circumstances mandate the use of autologous grafts (e.g., dorsal augmentation that exceeds 8 mm and patient intolerance of alloplastic implants). Septal and auricular cartilages are inadequate for dorsal augmentation of the Asian nose. The use of costal cartilage for autologous augmentation in select Asian patients has proven to be a reliable method in more than 500 operative cases during a 10-year period. This study was designed to evaluate the ideal costal cartilage graft for augmentation rhinoplasty. Forty-two preserved cadavers were studied for the relationship of the individual rib cartilages to the surrounding tissue and for the length and caliber of each costal cartilage. The seventh rib was found to be the ideal rib graft by virtue of its safe location and overall size for grafting. The seventh rib is situated over the abdominal cavity, so the risk of pneumothorax is insignificant. The internal thoracic artery and vein descend in close apposition behind the first to sixth ribs but begin a course medial to the ribs inferior to this point, and therefore vascular injury during seventh-rib harvesting is unknown. The seventh rib also provides the greatest overall available length (90.7 mm, right; 89.6 mm, left) and thickness (17.6 mm, right; 17.5 mm, left). Despite the more conspicuous location of the incision required to harvest the seventh rib, the limited 3-cm incision that is used has healed favorably in almost all cases. The other major drawback for seventh-rib harvesting is the dissection required through the overlying rectus abdominis muscle, but little technical difficulty or postoperative morbidity is added with muscle dissection. The seventh rib is advocated as the ideal choice for augmentation rhinoplasty and potentially other recipient sites.

The contracted nose is a unique entity that follows primary rhinoplasty in the Asian patient. The proposed reasons for this complication are capsular contraction from a silicone nasal implant, pressure necrosis of the lower lateral cartilage resulting from the nasal implant, and infection after alloplastic implantation. The two principal anatomic constituents that must be addressed at the time of secondary rhinoplasty are the lower lateral cartilages and the skin envelope. The lower lateral cartilages should be derotated, projected, and transfixed with an extended spreader graft. Additional onlay grafting may be required to provide greater nasal tip derotation and projection. A transcolumellar incision situated at the columellar-labial angle permits undermining of the upper lip skin to release tension on the incision. If the nasal tip retraction is severe, then the skin envelope may be insufficient to provide coverage to the new cartilaginous framework. In this case, a paramedian forehead flap is recommended to provide adequate tissue coverage. Correction of alar-columellar disparity should be undertaken with composite grafting only after 6 months have transpired to gauge the ultimate relation between the alae and columella. Infection that arises after correction of the contracted nose can be devastating. It should be treated aggressively, but tailored to the severity of the infection. Wound tension along the columella may predispose to skin necrosis and consequent cartilage exposure, which should be managed in turn with prostaglandin emollients to accelerate wound healing and to prevent infection.

The procedure is relatively simple, and primary closure of the donor site is possible without causing external deformity. The subnasale flap can be fashioned without a visible donor-site scar. It is indicated for partial to total reconstruction of columellar defects, aesthetic improvement of narrow columella, and correction of deviated columella.