Why a high radix makes the nose look long and overly prominent

Hello, I am Dr. Peter C. Kang.

Today, I would like to share a case of a patient who was troubled by a bulbous, drooping long nose and achieved a soft, feminine straight bridge line through closed revision rhinoplasty.

About 7 to 8 years ago, the patient underwent cartilage correction, osteotomy, and alar reduction. Later, because the bridge became excessively high, an implant replacement surgery was performed. Most recently, the patient had nasal correction using autologous rib cartilage along with facial contouring surgery.

• Lowering an excessively high radix that appeared heavy and overly prominent

• Creating a soft, feminine straight bridge line

• Repositioning the nasal tip direction so the nose no longer appears long

• Improving facial balance and proportions through nasolabial angle correction

1. Radix adjustment: The excessively high radix was adjusted naturally to align with the level of the pupils.

2. Nasal tip rotation: The tip definition point was elevated slightly upward so the bulbous, drooping tip would no longer appear long.

3. Nasolabial angle correction: The columella was naturally lowered to adjust the angle between the nose and upper lip, creating a natural nasal profile.

4. Scar tissue removal and skin thickness adjustment: Scar tissue formed from prior surgeries at other clinics was partially excised to adjust the thickness of the nasal tip skin.

5. Osteotomy: Lateral osteotomy of the nasal bones was performed to naturally narrow the nasal bridge, which had widened after previous operations.

6. Septoplasty and turbinate surgery: To resolve nasal obstruction, correction of a deviated septum and turbinate reduction (rhinitis surgery) were performed simultaneously.

Front view changes

• The previously high radix was naturally lowered, softening the patient's overall facial impression.

• The bulbous nasal tip was refined into a neat contour, creating a well-defined tip shape.

Profile view changes

• The patient achieved the desired feminine, straight bridge line.

• With the nasolabial angle corrected, the proportions of the midface were balanced more harmoniously.

Functional changes

• Through correction of the deviated septum and inferior turbinate surgery, nasal obstruction symptoms are expected to improve.

When performing revision rhinoplasty on patients who have undergone multiple prior nasal surgeries, surgical plans must be established only after thoroughly assessing scar tissue formation, cartilage status, and changes in skin thickness. In this case, a closed approach was used to minimize unnecessary scarring while providing precise access to the areas requiring correction.

Along with aesthetic improvements to the nose, septoplasty and inferior turbinate surgery were performed to resolve functional concerns, ensuring enhanced comfort in daily life.

This was Dr. Peter C. Kang. Thank you.

#closedrhinoplasty #closedrevisionrhinoplasty #longnosecorrection #droopingtipcorrection #nasolabialanglecorrection #revisionrhinoplasty #osteotomy #deviatedseptum #inferiorturbinatesurgery #nasalobstructionsurgery