Ultrasound assessment of the nose vasculature: A review of the common method of non‐surgical filler‐based rhinoplasty

Abstract

BackgroundWith the increasing use of dermal injectable fillers in aesthetic medicine, the popularity of non‐surgical filler‐based rhinoplasty (NSR) is also growing. While performing this procedure might result in certain vascular complications, injecting deep into the midline of the nose is commonly considered the safest method for blind primary NSR.AimsIn this study, we challenged the common NSR method with a Doppler ultrasound study of the nose.Patients/MethodsThe vascular pattern of the common zones of the NSR procedure (radix and nasal tip) of 21 Iranian women were investigated by using a 14 MHz Doppler handheld ultrasound device (Silarious L14PS). Participants had never undergone any procedure on their nose. We focused on the depth of midline vessels in the radix and nasal tip. The radix was studied sagittally and horizontally, and the nasal tip was examined axially by ultrasound.ResultsIn the radix of eight cases (38%), at least one vessel was observed at midline, and all were superficial. In the nose tip of 18 cases (86%), at least one vessel was observed at midline, and 9 out of these 18 vessels (50%) were deep. As a result, conducting NSR by the common method in our study population was relatively safe in the radix, but there was an increased likelihood of vascular events in the tip.ConclusionOur research results show that while the common method of the NSR may carry a high risk of vascular events, the safety of this procedure could be enhanced by using ultrasound for planning and conducting a tailored treatment.