In rhinoplasty surgery to make the nose look higher and have the desired beautiful shape, in cases where the patient has thin skin at the tip of the nose, a short nose, or structural abnormalities of the nose, using silicone alone may cause the tip to perforate. Therefore, there is a method to prevent this by using some of the patient’s own tissue along with silicone. The most commonly used cartilage is the cartilage from behind the ear or rib cartilage.
What is the difference between rhinoplasty with “ear cartilage” and “rib cartilage”?
If you only want to prevent the tip of the nose from being thin, it is recommended to use ear cartilage along with silicone. However, if the ear cartilage is insufficient to use, rib cartilage can be used to make the nose instead of silicone. The patient will have no foreign objects or silicone in their body at all.
Rhinoplasty technique… with “rib cartilage”
This surgery requires an open rhinoplasty technique to effectively correct the shape of the nose or augment the desired area. It is a method to correct the nose shape that silicone cannot achieve. Therefore, it requires a highly skilled surgeon because if done without expertise, complications may occur. The surgery may also take a long time and the cost is relatively high.
Location of the rib cartilage used
The cartilage used from the ribs is the patient’s own cartilage. The doctor will make an incision under the breast crease, about 3-4 centimeters long, to remove about 1-2 pieces of rib cartilage, each about 2-3 cm in length.
Who is suitable for rhinoplasty with rib cartilage?
- Those with little nasal tissue and thin noses, causing the nose to look unnatural, rod-like, or red after silicone augmentation due to thin nasal skin or an undesired shape.
- Those with a short nose and low nasal structure but want a longer, higher, and more projected nose. Even if ear cartilage is used, it may not be enough to support the tip, so rib cartilage is needed to achieve the desired nose shape.
- Those who have had more than 4-5 nose surgeries, with inflammation, infection, silicone allergy, thin nasal tissue, and risk of perforation.
Advantages of rhinoplasty with rib cartilage
- Reduces problems of inflammation, infection, and also prevents perforation.
- Helps achieve a more beautiful and natural nose shape than silicone augmentation.
- The patient will have no foreign objects or silicone in the body, so no allergic reactions occur because it is entirely their own rib cartilage.
Before deciding to undergo any type of cosmetic surgery, it is important to thoroughly research both the specialized expertise of the doctor and the safety and standards of the medical facility. This information is crucial in making a decision to undergo surgery to achieve the most satisfactory results.
Dr. Kanit Witthayawanichchai
Specialist Surgeon in Plastic Surgery
(Head Physician of the Beauty Center)
Beauty Center, Phyathai 2 Hospital
