What is the difference between an open and closed rhinoplasty?
A ‘closed’ rhinoplasty technique involves the surgeon doing all of his work on refining the bony structure and shape of the nose through the nostrils alone, without the benefit of any external incisions. An ‘open’ rhinoplasty technique, which has gained in popularity in recent years, affords the surgeon the advantage of being able to see the structures of the nose during surgery because an incision is made in the columella (the strip of skin at the base of the nose) to ‘open’ the nose. Both techniques are used, some surgeons favor one over the other routinely, and sometimes an ‘open’ technique is reserved for difficult noses, secondary procedures, and thicker skin types.
