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Showing posts with the label scar

Rib cartilage rhinoplasty

Using rib cartilage in rhinoplasty needs lots of attention both in patient's and surgeon's perspective. For patient, it means additional incision on the chest, possible harvest site complications including chest pain, scar, and penumothorax, more cost, longer surgery time, and possibility of warping. From the surgone's perspective, rib cartilage is usually the last resort of autogenous material for rhinoplasty. It affords a lot of possibilities for rhinoplasty such as dorsal augmentation, tip grafts, and lots of septal grafts, all of which are not possible with other autogenous sources. It also means a lot of experience is necessary for skillful use of rib cartilage. I have used rib cartilage for rhinoplasty for more than 15 years. As cases accumulate, I can harvest the rib with small incision (less than 1.5 cm) without any complications such as peumothorax or severe pain. I do not cut the muscle and only retract it and this helps to reduce pain. Scar can be minimi...