The Alar Extension Graft Technique for the Treatment of External Nasal Valve Collapse: Preliminary Results of a Single-Centre Prospective Analysis.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to describe the efficacy of the alar extension graft for the correction of external nasal valve collapse and to evaluate the functional and aesthetic results. METHODS: The study included 51 patients who underwent alar extension grafting for external nasal valve collapse. Pre- and post-operative rhinomanometry was performed before and after surgery. NOSE and SNOT 20 questionnaires were completed before and 9 months after surgery. Patients were also asked about their post-operative satisfaction. RESULTS: 90% of patients were subjectively satisfied with the post-operative improvement in nasal breathing. There was a significant improvement in the values of the pre- and post-operative NOSE and SNOT 20 questionnaire scores. Rhinomanometry showed increased nasal flow with a statistically significant difference between pre- and post-operative results. CONCLUSIONS: The alar extension graft has been proved to be effective and reliable in the surgical treatment of external nasal valve collapse, improving the patients' objective and subjective breathing with good functional and aesthetic results. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE II This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .