The broad base columellar strut for correction of retracted columella and under rotated tip

Objective: To describe the technique and to detect the efficacy of the broad base columellar strut in correcting retracted columella and under rotated nasal tip. Design: Retrospective chart review. Setting: University-affiliated medical center. Methods: The charts and photographs of patients suffering from columellar retraction with acute columellar-labial angle were reviewed. The columellar-labial angle and the nasal tip projection were measured and calculated from the photos and the columellar show was measured using a fine caliper. Results: The study included 17 patients, 12 females and 5 males with a mean age of 30.2 years ranging from 19 to 49 years, 14 patients had primary surgery while 3 were revision cases, Preoperative columellar-labial angle ranged from 75° to 86° with a mean 82.06 ± 4.08458 SD, while postoperatively it ranged from 92° to 105° with a mean 97.12° ± 3.9825 SD. Columellar show ranged preoperatively from 0.4 to 1.7 mm with a mean 0.94 mm ± 0.38739 SD while postoperatively it ranged from 2.5 to 3.5 mm with a mean of 2.65 mm ± 0.38098 SD. Nasal tip projection preoperatively ranged from 0.45 to 0.58 and postoperatively from 0.51 to 0.59. Conclusions: The broad base columellar strut technique is simple, easy, does not cause excessive tip stiffness and reduces the need to use the plumbing graft in conjunction with the columellar strut, and should help in increasing tip rotation and columellar show reliably and may add to tip projection as required.