Columellar struts can enhance rhinoplasty procedures and should be incorporated more frequently, according to a new study in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

In the new retrospective analysis of rhinoplasty surgeries performed from 1986 to 2009, columellar struts improved symmetry and projection of the nose; creating a softer and more natural appearance.

"Past articles have referred to the use of the columellar strut in rhinoplasty, but its role seems to have been underestimated," says the study’s senior author Rod Rohrich, MD, chair of Plastic Surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas and journal editor. "Compared to other variables that affect tip symmetry, the columellar strut has a unifying quality that renders it unique. Essentially, the strut provides a scaffold on which any tip correction can be used."

Source: Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

[PHOTO CAPTION: Proper use of columellar struts can help give the nose a softer and more natural appearance.]