Ear, nose, & throat journal
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Multicenter Study
A twin-center study of nasal tip numbness following septorhinoplasty or rhinoplasty.
Nasal tip numbness is a recognized postoperative complication after septorhinoplasty and rhinoplasty. We performed a twin-center retrospective study to determine the incidence of short- and long-term (>6 mo) nasal tip numbness after these procedures, and we studied several variables that might have been associated with this complication. Our study group was made up of 65 patients-31 males and 34 females, aged 15 to 67 years (mean: 30.5). ⋯ We did find that there was an association between long-term numbness and the open procedure, but it was not statistically significant. We discuss the possible mechanisms that might cause numbness in cases when the external nasal nerve is not cut. We believe it is important to include a discussion of the risk of nasal tip numbness during preoperative consultations and when seeking informed consent.