An aid to accurate planning of alar reconstruction in rhinoplasty

Accurate placement of intranasal incisions to achieve external alar symmetry is difficult. A detailed anatomical knowledge of intranasal anatomy is required to allow an appropriate incision to be made within the nasal vestibule. By marking the level of the intracartilaginous incision on the external surface using a pair of alice forceps, the marking is subsequently transferred onto the vestibular nasal surface. The initial incision can therefore be made on the vestibular nasal surface along the marking made by the alice forceps.