▲ Dr. Kang from Wonjin hospital 

​(Seoul=International News ) Hyungno Lee reporter

Asians often have the features of a low nasal bridge with a downward angled stubby nose. Due to this fact, many wish to improve their appearance by elevating the nasal bridge and tip, which is called rhinoplasty. With the increasing frequency of rhinoplasty, however, there are also an increasing number of cases with patients who have unexpected side effects or are dissatisfied with the results.

Usually, these side effects manifest after revision rhinoplasty due to inflammation and can be also include contraction that lifts the nose tip. The cause of this condition is a phenomenon wherein the nose and the tip of the nose becomes hard or the tip is lifted due to a reaction to the implant. This surgery requires exceptional skill because, the shape of the nose may change and functional problems may even occur. 

When a surgeon performs revision rhinoplasty, the choice of implant is important. As such, using an autologous cartilage is a safer alternative which has fewer side effects and lower chance of a reaction causing inflammation. When autologous cartilage, such as ear cartilage, septal cartilage, etc., is used as an implant, the possibility of inflammation is low and compatibility is increased.

 In addition, when the cartilage is inserted to the nasal tip, it can maintain the desired shape for a long time since it possesses the proper absorption and hardness characteristics.

For these reasons, using autologous cartilage for revision rhinoplasty can be very effective when the tip has collapsed due to inflammation or the nose has contracted. 

 However, calcification of rib cartilage must be checked before revision rhinoplasty. It is important to accurately diagnose this through x-ray since calcification of rib cartilage means the cartilage is getting hard and if the rib cartilage is calcified, its elasticity is lost, so making the proper cuts is difficult.

Using rib cartilage for revision rhinoplasty has to be done delicately beginning from the collection process in order to obtain a satisfactory result. Revision surgery is an effective and safe surgery when the operation is done by a surgeon who has thorough medical experience and know-how.

Help: Dr. Kang Moon Seok and Dr. Seo Jae Won from Wonjin hospital in Gangnam station

(source) - http://www.kidd.co.kr/news/214536