Management of the nasal dorsum remains a challenge in rhinoplasty surgery. Currently, the majority of reduction rhinoplasties results in destruction of the keystone area (K-area), which requires reconstruction with either spreader grafts or spreader flaps, both for aesthetic and functional reasons. This article will present the senior author's current operative technique for dorsal preservation in reduction rhinoplasty based on 320 clinical cases performed over a 5-year period. The author's operative technique is as follows: (1) endonasal approach; (2) removal of a septal strip in the subdorsal area whose shape and height were determined preoperatively; (3) complete lateral, transverse, and radix osteotomies; and (4) dorsal reduction utilizing either a push down operation (PDO) or a let down operation (LDO). The PDO consists of downward impaction of the fully mobilized nasal pyramid and is utilized in patients with smaller humps (Less than 4 mm). The LDO consists of a maxillary wedge resection and is performed in patients who need more than 4 mm of lowering. A total of 320 patients had a dorsal preservation operation (DPO). Postoperatively, there were no dorsal irregularities nor inverted-V deformities. Among our 44 personal revision cases, 27 patients (8.74%) had had a previous DPO, 16 of whom required tip revisions with no further dorsal surgery. Of the remaining 11 patients, the main problems were either hump recurrence and/or lateral deviation of the dorsum or widening of the middle third, which required simple surgical revision. Based on the authors' experience, adoption of a PDO/LDO is justified in selected primary patients. The key question before any primary rhinoplasty procedure should be "Can I keep the nasal dorsum intact?" Precise analysis and surgical execution are required to preserve the dorsal osseocartilaginous vault and K-area. Dorsal preservation results in more natural postoperative dorsum lines and a "not operated" aspect without the need for midvault reconstruction. Moreover, this technique is quick and easy to perform by any rhinoplasty surgeon. Rhinoplasty surgeons should consider incorporating dorsal preservation techniques in their surgical armamentarium rather than relying solely on the Joseph reduction method or an open structure rhinoplasty.

The aesthetic lines and profile of the nose before dorsal reduction are dictated by the cartilaginous vault. After reduction, the dorsal lines are determined by the bony vault edges. In routine rhinoplasty, reduction of dorsal height generally corresponds to removal of the dorsal cartilaginous septum.

It is our recommendation that surgeons should consider preservation of the nasal ligaments whenever possible and utilize them to manipulate tip projection, position, and rotation. Awareness of the relationship between the dome and the caudal septum will hopefully minimize problems with the tongue-in-groove operation.

Currently, most rhinoplasty surgeons focus their analysis and operative techniques on the upper nasal base, with its alar cartilages. They tend to minimize the lower nasal base, composed of the columellar base, nostril sills, and alar lobules. The requisite operative techniques are often considered ancillary techniques. In this article, the authors describe anatomical composition of the columellar base, nostril sill, and alar lobule; discuss the presence of a distinct lower nasal base; and reevaluate the nasal musculature and the nasal superficial muscular aponeurotic system in an anatomical cadaver model. They also discuss the results of both a detailed literature review (for articles related to the levator labii superioris alaeque nasalis, orbicularis oris, depressor septi nasalis, myrtiformis, and dilator naris) and the results of their own dissection of 45 fresh cadavers.