What Are Dr. Rizk's Graft Techniques For Tip Refinement And Support?

Dr. Rizk often uses graft techniques for tip refinement and support. Graft techniques are often appropriate in patients who need improvements in definition and tip projection (the distance from the front portion of the tip to the base). Tip projection is one of the most important features of an attractive nose. Without it, the nose may have a heavy or thick appearance.

To achieve proper projection, the tip must have adequate support, and this is where grafts come in. Depending on a patient’s needs, onlay grafts, umbrella grafts or other grafts may be used.

Ethnic rhinoplasty patients often have thicker nasal skin, which causes poor tip projection and, in many cases, a bulbous nasal tip. As a result, they are often good candidates for graft techniques for tip refinement and support. For example, grafts may be used for medial columellar support, or to project the dome. Other patients may need umbrella grafts, which are placed between the medial crura.

Dr. Rizk prefers to harvest grafts from a patient’s own cartilage, either from the septum or the ear. In certain cases, he may use a synthetic graft called medpor for support and definition, but he never uses silicone grafts.

When employing graft techniques during rhinoplasty, Dr. Rizk often makes use of dermabrading-powered instruments to custom contour the grafts. This method creates smooth contours, as opposed to traditional methods that use a surgical knife, which leave sharper edges.

Contact Dr. Rizk to learn more about rhinoplasty grafting techniques.