Investigating the effect of using Alar rim free cartilage graft on the stability of nostril contour

The appearance of the alar has an important role in maintaining the beauty of the nose and face. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of using an Alar rim-free cartilage graft on the stability of nostril contour in basal view of photography during a 6-month follow-up period in rhinoplasty patients. In this study, the VAS criterion is used to assess the concavity of the alar contour before surgery and 1, 3, and 6 months after surgery. The Shapiro-Wilk test is used to check normality, and Levon's test to check homogeneity of variances. The software SPSS version 26 was used in this study. All patients who underwent alar rim grafting for the first time were evaluated in this study. In the first month after surgery, the distance of the alar rim contour decreased in all patients. Three months after surgery compared to the time before surgery, this value decreased to 20 cases in women and 25 cases in men. At the six-month follow-up, the number of recurrences was almost the same in both sexes. The mean concavity of the rim according to the criteria of VAS criteria before surgery and at the intervals of 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after surgery was 7.98, 5.42, 6.02, and 7.38, respectively. Transplantation of alar cartilage with a free margin is effective in stabilizing the contour of the nostril. This curve gradually returns in more than half of the patients at follow-up.