Harvesting Costal Cartilage for Secondary Rhinoplasty: Techniques, Considerations, and Outcomes

Secondary rhinoplasty is a surgical procedure aimed at reshaping the nose after the unsatisfactory results of primary rhinoplasty, which usually requires a reliable source of cartilage for grafting. Septal cartilage is usually the first option for rhinoplasty, but in cases where it is insufficient, rib cartilage might be used, which is the focus of the current study. The article details the surgical techniques for rib cartilage harvesting, highlighting the preference for the seventh rib done under general anaesthesia. The surgery requires a precise incision, harvesting of the cartilage, and careful closure while the cartilage is stored in a saline solution until use. It also introduces innovative approaches to minimize complications and improve patient satisfaction, including trans-umbilical endoscopic harvesting, the use of the 10th rib to reduce morbidity, and employing fresh frozen homologous rib cartilage as a grafting alternative. Based on various studies, most cases following rhinoplasty with rib cartilage showed a high satisfaction rate despite the complexity of the procedure. Patient consideration includes good communication with realistic expectations through imaging techniques. We also discuss complications, which can heavily impact the patient's quality of life. We hope that by providing this information, our paper will provide surgeons and researchers with the latest information on this topic.