Does Sensation Return to the Nasal Tip After Microfat Grafting?

Area of Science:

• Plastic Surgery
• Regenerative Medicine
• Facial Aesthetics

Background:

• Numbness in the nasal tip is a common patient complaint following microfat injections.
• Understanding the duration and severity of this sensory change is crucial for patient counseling and managing expectations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the severity and progression of nasal tip numbness after microfat injection.
• To assess the recovery timeline of sensation in the nasal tip post-procedure.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study involving young women undergoing nasal microfat injections.
• Objective and subjective assessments were used to measure nasal tip sensation over a 12-week follow-up period.
• Statistical analysis using the McNemar-Bowker test compared sensation levels at different time points.

Main Results:

• Preoperative mean touch threshold was 3.60 units, decreasing to 2.50 units one week post-injection.
• Sensation gradually recovered over 12 weeks, with touch threshold values reaching 3.35 units.
• A significant decrease in paresthesia was observed, with numbness diminishing over time.

Conclusions:

• Postoperative numbness is frequent after nasal microfat injections.
• Nasal tip sensation demonstrates a partial to complete recovery trajectory within approximately three months.
• The findings provide valuable insights into the expected sensory outcomes of nasal augmentation with microfat grafts.