Dorsal nasal augmentation with rib cartilage graft: long-term results and patient satisfaction

Various alloplastic and autogenous materials have been used for dorsal nasal augmentation. Bone and cartilage autografts commonly are used. We used rib cartilage graft for dorsal nasal augmentation. The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term outcomes and patient satisfaction of dorsal nasal augmentation with rib cartilage grafts. Thirty-eight patients who had been operated on for dorsal nasal augmentation with rib cartilage graft were included in this study. Operation times, postoperative complications, and revision surgery were investigated by using hospital records. Anthropometric measurements were used for determining the resorption rate of cartilage graft. A questionnaire was used for the evaluation of long-term patient satisfaction. Evaluation of the patients' records showed that average operation time was 116 minutes and there were no complications such aspleural damage. The mean follow-up period was 27.4 months. Nine patients required secondary nasal surgery, including soft tissue augmentation (n = 1), nasal tip revision (n = 3), and reshaping the cartilage graft (n = 5). Long-term anthropometric measurements, comparing preoperative and postoperative values, documented increases in both tip projection (4.2%) and nasal length (1.2%) and an increase in nasolabial angle of 8.2 degrees . Eighty-one percent of the patients who answered the questionnaire rated the nasal size as normal. Nasal symmetry and nasal shape were good in 75% and 66% of the patients, respectively. Results of the rib cartilage grafts that are used for dorsal nasal augmentation are satisfactory for the patients and resorption rates are not high enough to change the shape of the nose.