Method of Lateral Osteotomy to Reduce Eyelid Edema and Ecchymosis After Rhinoplasty: A Meta-analysis

Objectives: Although lateral osteotomy is an important part of rhinoplasty, it is known to be closely associated with postoperative eyelid edema and ecchymosis after rhinoplasty. There is no consensus on which osteotomy methods are effective in reducing morbidity from rhinoplasty. This study compared the effects of different osteotomy methods on edema and ecchymosis after lateral osteotomy using a meta-analysis. Study Design: A literature search using MEDLINE, SCOPUS, and Cochrane databases. Methods: Two authors independently reviewed the databases published until May 2019. Randomized controlled trials that compared lateral osteotomy methods (external approach) with different methods (internal approach), for which the outcomes of interest were mucosal injury, edema, and ecchymosis on postoperative days, were included. Sufficient data for meta-analysis was found in six studies with a total of 224 patients. Results: In a comparison of the external approach with the internal approach, mucosal injury was significantly lower in the external approach (odds ratio = 0.41; 95% confidence interval = [0.11; 0.99], I² = 29%). There were significant differences between the external and internal approach in eyelid ecchymosis and edema, except for eyelid ecchymosis at 7 days postoperatively. However, all significant results showed a small effect size with a standardized mean difference near 0.2. Conclusions: The external approach during lateral osteotomy had no significant advantage in edema and ecchymosis compared to the internal approach. Further studies with good research methodology should be carried out to determine the effect on the postoperative complications of different lateral osteotomy methods. Laryngoscope, 131:54–58, 2021.