Local infection following aesthetic rhinoplasty

Local infection is a rare complication after aesthetic rhinoplasty. In the past serious complications and 1 death have been reported. We present 5 cases of local infection after primary and secondary procedures. Infection seems to have more to do with technical details during an operation, such as the external lateral osteotomy, than with the presence of saprophytic bacteria. Care must be taken in the management of cartilage grafts. There is not enough support for the use of prophylactic antibiotics. Usually the organism implicated is Staphylococcus aureus. Once the infection has developed, treatment should be aggressive in view of the grave complications reported in the literature.