Treatment protocol for "Mestizo nose" with open rhinoplasty.

Background: The aim of this study was to develop an operative sequence to guide plastic surgeons on how to handle the challenges of "Mestizo nose" during rhinoplasty. This type of nose has characteristics quite different from the Caucasian nose. Rhinoplasties on Mestizo nose represent a surgical challenge because of the anatomical characteristics of a weak frame and thick skin. The Hispanic population has grown, and nowadays a large number of patients requesting rhinoplasty within the US belong to this ethnic group.

Methods: We have developed an operative sequence for the treatment of Mestizo nose. This operative sequence has been tested in 879 rhinoplasties (92.37% females and 7.62% males, aged 15-63 years, mean age = 39 years). All were primary cases. An algorithm on how to approach the different types of Mestizo nose is presented.

Results: We had overall good results using our algorithm, with an improvement in the nasal aesthetics of about 54.75%. Complications were postoperative bleeding (1.37%), pain (0.57%), septal hematoma (0.23%), unaesthetic scars (0.34%), and cartilage extrusion (0.11%). Our revision rate was 5%. We present ten complete cases to show our surgical results.

Conclusion: This operative sequence has allowed us to get predictable and reliable surgical outcomes when used in Mestizo rhinoplasty operations. We think it can be very useful for every plastic surgeon who performs Mestizo nose rhinoplasty, although not all steps need to be performed in every case.