The use of spreader grafts in primary rhinoplasty.

Some candidates for primary rhinoplasty are at greater risk of postoperative complications due to the presence of certain very specific anatomic characteristics. The authors describe their experience with spreader grafts in primary rhinoplasty and provide an analytic method of identifying the types of patient needing such grafts who present a high risk of complications. Sixty patients were treated with spreader grafts during primary rhinoplasty. Bilateral spreader grafts were used in cases of "narrow nose syndrome" (short nasal bones, long and weak upper lateral cartilages, thin skin) and in cases of disproportionate nose with narrow middle vault and bulbous tip. Unilateral spreader grafts were placed on the concave side in cases of crooked nose. After an average follow-up of 17 months, all the patients reported improvement in functional and esthetic problems, with no complications related to the preoperative features.