Pollybeak Deformity
A pollybeak deformity is a recognised complication of rhinoplasty, though it can also occur in patients who have never had surgery. It refers to a characteristic profile appearance in which the supratip area — the region just above the nasal tip — is the most prominent point of the nasal bridge rather than the tip itself, producing a beak-like profile contour.
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What Causes a Pollybeak Deformity?
The causes differ between patients who have and have not previously had rhinoplasty:
Treatment
The treatment depends on the underlying cause:
| Residual septal cartilage | Where excess caudal septal cartilage is the cause, targeted removal or reduction of the supratip cartilage through a rhinoplasty approach is performed. |
| Scar tissue | Where scar tissue accumulation in the supratip is the cause, a period of conservative management with steroid injections is often attempted first. If non-surgical measures are insufficient, surgical excision of the scar tissue through a revision rhinoplasty may be required. It is generally advisable to wait at least twelve months after the primary rhinoplasty before intervening surgically. |
| Insufficient tip projection | Where the pollybeak is related to inadequate tip projection, the tip is refined and elevated as part of the rhinoplasty correction. |
As with all revision rhinoplasty, careful assessment of the cause is essential before planning treatment. Correction of a pollybeak deformity is best performed by a surgeon with experience in revision rhinoplasty, as the anatomy is altered from previous surgery.
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Specialist Otolaryngologist & Head and Neck Surgeon
Specialist registration — Otorhinolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery
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