COMPARISON BETWEEN DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES FOR NASAL TIP PLASTY: TACO (SANDWICH) VERSUS TRADITIONAL COLUMELLAR STRUT GRAFT

Abstract

Background: Aesthetic balance in rhinoplasty is essential to achieve optimal nasal tip projection and symmetry and functional airflow. The typical columellar strut graft has been discovered to be structurally stable; nevertheless, it results in the rigidity of the tips and loss of motion.

Objective: This study aims to provide a comparison of the functional and aesthetic results of the TACO (Sandwich) method and the Traditional Columellar Strut Graft in nasal tip plasty.

Methods: n=50 patients undergoing nasal tip plasty between January 2024 and January 2025 were used to conduct a prospective comparative study. Patients were randomly split into two categories: TACO technique (n = 25) and Traditional columellar graft (n = 25). Postoperative measurements were done on objective parameters such as Goode Ratio and Nasolabial Angle, and subjective measures such as Satisfaction Score and NOSE Score Improvement. The analysis was done with SPSS v26, where t-tests, Chi-square tests, correlation, and regression were used.

Findings: TACO group showed significantly better mean Goode Ratio (0.596 ± 0.028, p = 0.001), Satisfaction Score (4.60 ± 0.35, p < 0.001), and NOSE Score Improvement (23.02 ± 3.07, p = 0.001) than the traditional group. The TACO group had fewer postoperative complications than the other groups, which included edema, asymmetry, and infection (p > 0.05). The regression analysis results have found that NOSE Score Improvement ( = 0.399, p = 0.006) was the strongest predictor of patient satisfaction, and Q-Q plots proved the data normality.

Conclusion: The TACO (Sandwich) nasal tip plasty is a major innovation in contrast to the traditional grafting techniques since it offers long-lasting structural support and aesthetic harmony of the form. It provides better projection of tips, good airflow, and reduced postoperative complications, and thus is a safe and reliable tool in the current practice of rhinoplasty.