Fabricating a partial nasal prosthesis with a custom nasal dilator design

Patients undergoing partial rhinectomy with limited size may have the major portion of the nasal structure preserved. However, the fibrosis or scar formation after the surgery may cause distortion of remaining tissues, followed by nasal airway obstruction. By physically expanding an affected nostril during the impression and using digital technology to design a custom flexible internal nasal dilator, embedded in the medical grade silicone during processing, a partial nasal prosthesis with airway-maintaining purpose can be fabricated to improve quality of life both esthetically and functionally.