Nov 17
Rhinoplasty Mistake #9: Open Roof Deformity
The nasal bones are not so much like a pyramid but more like an arched covered bridge or tunnel. When a bump is made smaller, the top of the bones are shaved or cut shorter to reduce the bump. This leaves an opening in the roof of the tunnel. That’s one of the reasons why we have to cut the base of the bones during surgery (called osteotomies). We perform osteotomies in order to push the bones inward towards each other so that this opening can be closed.
If the opening is not closed properly, we call the resulting problem an ‘open roof’ deformity. The photos below give you a sense of what this problem looks like. When you have an open roof, the middle part of the bridge will look and feel unnaturally flat. The edges of the bones are separated and can be seen and felt as a prominent bump at the side edge of the bridge.
In the above photos, you can see how shaving down a bump on the bridge creates an ‘open roof’ deformity, shown here in purple. If this is not closed, the result is an unnaturally flat and irregular bridge shown by the arrows on the right.
Dr. Solieman and Dr. Litner have extensive experience correcting these and many other Rhinoplasty deformities. To repair an ‘open roof’ deformity, the bones need to be brought back together again. Sometimes, the bones have been so shortened and whittled away that it is impossible to bring them together without pinching the top of the nose completely. In this situation, it is necessary to rebuild the roof with grafts. Whatever the extent of your Rhinoplasty concerns, the Profiles surgeons are well-versed at tailoring your procedure to address your individual issues.Check out our site dedicated to rhinoplasty to learn more about your options for rhinoplasty revision.
