Surgical methods in rhinoplasty.
There is no single method for all noses — and that is exactly the point. Nasal surgery knows a whole range of techniques, from closed and open surgery through reducing and augmenting procedures to stabilisation with the body's own cartilage. At the Kuzbari Centre we have mastered the entire spectrum — and choose for each nose individually the method that leads to the best possible result.
Not one standard procedure — the best method for the situation at hand.
If every nose were operated on according to the same scheme, a great deal could be simplified — but that would not serve the best possible result. Because every nose is different: in its bony and cartilaginous structure, in the nature of the skin, in form and function and in the patient's wishes.
That is why we do not commit ourselves to one technique in advance. Our experienced team of surgeons has mastered every procedure in modern nasal surgery and decides for each operation individually which method — or which combination of methods — will most reliably bring you closer to your goal. That way the choice of method always stays what it should be: optimal for you.
Open or closed nose surgery?
Univ. Doz. Dr Rafic Kuzbari explains the differences between the two fundamental surgical techniques and their respective advantages and disadvantages.
The methods at a glance
An overview of the most important techniques in nasal surgery — which of them is used in your case we decide together and individually.
-
The closed technique
The whole procedure is carried out from the inside, through access points in the nose — with no visible external scars. Well established for defined, plannable corrections.
-
The open technique
Through a fine incision on the columella the surgeon gains maximum visibility — an advantage with complex starting points and corrections after previous surgery.
-
Reduction
An excess of structure — a hump or surplus tissue, for example — is removed precisely, to refine the line and the proportions.
-
Augmentation & stabilisation
Where structure is missing it is added — preferably with the body's own cartilage, which grows in and makes a natural, stable result possible.
-
Functional & aesthetic
Shape and breathing can be addressed in a single procedure — one anaesthetic, one operation, one healing phase.
-
Primary & secondary
Both first operations and demanding corrections after previous surgery are part of our focus.
Two routes, one goal.
The two fundamental access routes differ above all in the visibility they give the surgeon. The closed technique works entirely from the inside and leaves no visible external scar. The open technique uses a fine incision on the columella and makes it possible to see the structures of the nose directly and shape them with particular precision — an advantage with complex or previously operated noses.
Neither method is fundamentally “better”. Which route is right in your case depends on your anatomy and your goal — and that is exactly what we discuss openly with you.
Why is cartilage grafted?
Univ. Doz. Dr Rafic Kuzbari explains why cartilage is grafted in rhinoplasty and how it stabilises the shape in the long term.
Why the body's own cartilage.
Many rhinoplasties — augmentations and stabilisations in particular — succeed most naturally with the body's own cartilage. It is accepted by the body as its own tissue, grows in and provides a lastingly stable foundation. Depending on the amount required, cartilage from the nasal septum, the ear or the rib area can be used.
The 3D planning with our Vectra system helps us to have the same picture of the result as you do before the procedure — and to match the technique to it.
Nobody can spot the best rhinoplasty
Does a nose have to look as though it has been operated on? No, says Dr Christoph Grill, dispelling one of the biggest myths: the real art is not making a nose smaller — it is making the procedure invisible.
„We do not commit ourselves to one method — we choose for each nose the technique that leads to the best possible result.“
Four questions that determine the technique
-
Your anatomy
The bony and cartilaginous structure, the thickness of the skin and its stability set the framework.
-
The result you want
What would you like to change — and what do you deliberately want to keep? The 3D simulation makes it visible.
-
Form and function
Should the breathing be improved alongside the shape? We consider the two together.
-
A first or a follow-up operation
A first operation makes different demands from a correction after previous surgery.
Three surgeons, the entire spectrum of methods
Univ. Doz. Dr Rafic Kuzbari, Dr Christoph Grill and DDr. Jessica Wittmann have mastered every technique in modern nasal surgery.
-
Univ. Doz. Dr Rafic Kuzbari
Specialist in Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery
Over 30 years of experience; internationally regarded as an expert in revision procedures and complex rhinoplasty.
-
Dr Christoph Grill
Specialist in Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery
A specialist in aesthetic and functional rhinoplasty with a focus on natural results.
-
DDr. Jessica Wittmann
Specialist in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Combines the surgical and the aesthetic eye: precise nasal surgery with a sense for harmonious proportions.
Answers about the surgical methods
Open or closed — which method is better?
Neither technique is fundamentally superior. The closed method works from the inside without a scar; the open method offers more visibility with complex corrections. Which route is right for you we decide individually, based on your anatomy and your goal.
Are there visible scars with the open technique?
Access is through a fine incision on the columella. As a rule the scar is very small and barely visible once healed.
What is grafted in a rhinoplasty?
For augmentation and stabilisation we prefer to use the body's own cartilage — from the nasal septum, the ear or the rib area. The body's own tissue is well accepted and stable in the long term.
Can I choose the method myself?
We advise you in detail and recommend the approach that is optimal for you — and we make the decision together. The 3D simulation helps to make sure you and we have the same picture in mind.
Are several methods combined as well?
Yes. Often it is only the combination of several techniques — reduction on the bridge and augmentation at the tip, say, or form and function in a single procedure — that leads to the most harmonious result.
