The Princess and the Pea Graft—A Solid Cartilaginous Tip Graft for Noses with Thick Skin Envelope
Thick skin-soft tissue envelope (SSTE) and weak cartilage make nasal tip definition challenging in many Asian rhinoplasty patients.We aimed to assess whether the Princess and the Pea (PP) graft-a solid, conical costal cartilage tip graft-can improve tip projection and definition in thick-SSTE patients. We hypothesized that it would yield reliable aesthetic and functional results with minimal complications.Prospective clinical study with 12-month postoperative follow-up.Sixty patients of East, South, and Southeast Asian descent received a PP graft anchored to the lower lateral cartilages. Outcomes were measured using SCHNOS and a 5-point Likert satisfaction scale.Mean satisfaction was 4.5/5, average SCHNOS score 0.54, and no graft-related complications occurred.The PP graft is a safe and effective method for enhancing nasal tip projection and definition in thick-SSTE patients.
Authors
- Niying Chua (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-4780-3592)
- Chew Lip Ng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4352-6454)
- Francesco Di Pierro
- Sean B. J. Loh
Institutions
- University of Insubria (IT)
- National University of Singapore (SG)
- Nanyang Technological University (SG)
- Ospedale di Circolo e Fondazione Macchi (IT)
- Ng Teng Fong General Hospital (SG)
- National University Health System (SG)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Facial Plastic Surgery
- Published
- 2026-01-05
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1055/a-2764-2712
- Primary Topic
- Nasal Surgery and Airway Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00