[Garnet Plastic Surgery Director Baek In-soo's Plastic Surgery Column] Rhinoplasty Using Donated Rib Cartilage

Garnet Plastic Surgery Director Baek In-soo's

Doctor's Note #18

Hello, I’m Baek In-soo, a board-certified plastic surgeon and director of Garnet Plastic Surgery.

Today, I’d like to introduce a case of a woman in her 20s who visited the clinic for rhinoplasty.

When consulting about rhinoplasty, many people prefer a natural-looking nose shape, but there also seem to be many who prefer a more glamorous and defined nose shape.

In rhinoplasty, to create a glamorous look, the cartilage material supporting the nasal tip needs to be abundant and strong.

Usually, rhinoplasty is performed using basic materials such as septal cartilage and ear cartilage, but if a more glamorous look is desired, additional rib cartilage may be needed.

Rhinoplasty using rib cartilage is a good method in terms of fixation and durability, but because it involves the burden of making an incision in the chest, donated rib cartilage is often used as well.

Preoperative diagnosis

There is a dorsal hump, and the nasal tip appears broad.

The patient wanted improvement into a taller, more glamorous shape.

Materials such as one’s own septal cartilage or ear cartilage are also good, but when a more glamorous rhinoplasty is desired, using donated rib cartilage as an additional material to increase support is a good method.

Surgical method

When it comes to donated rib cartilage material, it is important to choose a product from a reputable company, and I personally inspect donated rib cartilage products and select only the highest-grade materials for use.

Because donated rib cartilage, like autologous rib cartilage, tends to bend, it is important to shape it into two thin plates so that the two plates support each other and maintain a balance of forces.

Surgical plan

For the bridge of the nose, a silicone implant was usually used to achieve the desired line and height, and since donated rib cartilage is not autologous tissue, absorption can occur, so autologous cartilage such as ear cartilage and septal cartilage was used together to increase support.

Postoperative progress

From the front, the wide-nose look was clearly improved, creating a more defined nasal shape. As you can see in the 45-degree and side views, the dorsal hump was corrected, and the nose was improved into the glamorous look the patient wanted.

Closing remarks

Today, we looked at rhinoplasty using donated rib cartilage. If the nose shape you want is tall and glamorous, even for a first surgery, rib cartilage materials may be necessary.

If you feel somewhat hesitant about using autologous rib cartilage, there is also an auxiliary material called donated rib cartilage, so it would be good to keep in mind that using it well can lead to good results.

Thank you.