Are Nose Transplants and Implants Risky?

During nose surgery, if it is desired to add material to the nose, it is necessary to transplant cartilage from other parts of the body or implant a man-made material into the nose. These procedures carry some risk.

The main risks for implants and transplants in the nose are infection, extrusion, distortion and resorption. In general, these complications happen in less than 1% of all cases. In a study conducted by GMS, 184 nose surgery cases were analyzed, and only eight transplants were dislocated or twisted. It is worth noting that all of these eight transplants used rib cartilage, a necessary component for major augmentation. In the same study, there were five cases of dislocated and infected implants. Out of these five cases, each one used a different material, so this study did not suggest that any material was inherently more dangerous than another.

With adequate technique, the risks for resorption and distortion even in long term observation are minimal. Depending on the conditions of the receiving area, resorption of all types of reinjected nose cartilage is still a problem. The amount of resorption is not predictable; however, significant resorption is expected with diced cartilage because of the large surface in contrast to solid cartilage. On the other hand, instead of resorption, undesired growth of cartilage is possible, and resection in ear cartilage transplants is recommended.

Non-biological materials are stable and not a resorption risk. Silicone is very often used as a transplant material, and extrusion rates are usually between 5% and 20%. There are favorable reports about polytetrafluorethylen (PTFE, Gore-Tex) or polyethylen (PHDPE), even in long term follow-up. In a series of 309 Gore-Tex implants, only 3% had to be removed because of infections. Injectable fillers can correct small impressions after rhinoplasty and avoid revision surgery.

In short, transplanting or implanting material to the nose during surgery is not as risky as one might think. Complications happen very infrequently, and out of these infrequent complications, it is hard to say how many could have been prevented due to proper care. If you want to take better care of your nose after surgery, make sure to use Doctor CO Eyewear.