Complications of the external (combination) rhinoplasty approach.

More rhinoplastic surgeons are using the external (combination) rhinoplasty approach for selected patients. Although several large series report few complications, the initial experience of newcomers may be different. A series of 26 external rhinoplasty approaches was examined, representing the initial experience of supervised residents. The most common complication was incising the anterior margin of the lower lateral cartilage at the juncture of the lateral and medial crura. To prevent this problem, it is recommended that the skin be elevated off the lower lateral cartilages from both a medial direction up over the domes and a lateral direction downward. To repair this complication, a figure-of-eight suture is used to reapproximate the incision.