An alar base reduction after lateral crural repositioning and lateral crural strut graft demonstrated more utility in patients with thick skin than in patients with thin or normal skin undergoing rhinoplasty.

The aim of the retrospective case series study was to assess rates of alar base resection use among 621 patients who underwent procedures performed by a single surgeon between Jan. 1, 2012, and June 30, 2015. The analysis included 319 lateral crural repositioning with lateral crural strut graft procedures. The surgeon used an alar base reduction in 329 procedures.

A significant difference was reported in the rate of alar base resection use based on whether repositioning with lateral crural strut graft was performed (OR = 1.82; P < .001).

In the thin skin group, the incidence of alar base resection in repositioning with lateral crural strut graft did not significantly differ (OR = 2.034; P = .08). However, the frequency of alar base resection significantly differed in lateral crural repositioning with lateral crural strut graft among patients with thick skin (OR = 1.995; P = .005). Among patients with normal skin, no correlation was reported for lateral crural repositioning with lateral crural strut graft and frequency of alar base resection (OR = 1.557; P = .09), according to the results.