Rhinoplasty Implant Materials

Artificial Implants:

Goretex

Goretex is an implant with a porous component which enables the patient's own tissue to grow inside and become part of the nasal structure. This allows some level of integration into the nasal structure. Yet the advantage for using Goretex is also its limitation.

Goretex implants for nasal rhinoplasty are often composed of sheetsformed by the surgeon to fit the nasal characteristics of the patient. Goretex itself is composed of fibrillated polymer of polytetrafluoroethylene with pores within the 22um range. Since years of use and studies, it has been concluded that pores when sized between 1 and 50 um (micrometers), allows bacteria to get enter the pores but not tissue ingrowth to fight off the bacteria. Hence pore sizes between 1-50 um are not considered good. Additionally when rhinoplasty involving Goretex requires revision, a degree of tissue thinning is inevitable as excision is first required in order to remove the implant. It is for these reasons that few clinics in Seoul still use Goretex.

Silicone

Contrary to popular belief, silicone does not come in one singular form. Instead silicone has been refined and evolved over the years parallel to that of cosmetic technology. To break things down simply, silicone ranges from different shapes and sizes, densities and structures. While all silicone are made of synthetic material, it is acknowledged that the softer types are proven to be the most efficient. Hard silicones have been known to damage tissues, while the modern soft silicones negate significant pressure on the nasal structure. Ultra soft and High soft silicones are amongst the most common silicone implants currently used by South Korean surgical practices.

Structurally they provide superior aesthetic results and are safe too as the implant is softer than even human cartilage. Resorption is also non existant for these implants. Infections are hence uncommon. Most of Kpop celebrities who undergo rhinoplasty use this type of implant.

Autologous Implants

Autologous implants are grafts harvested from the patient’s own body. In cartilage forms they include rib, ear and septal cartilage. Autologous implants are most commonly used for tipplasty, where the surrounding tissues in the region are more prone to complications. In Seoul, ear and septal cartilage is typically used when performing tipplasty. Rib/costal cartilage is used for rhinoplasty involving bridge augmentations. This method involves more difficulty to perform as a degree of artistry by the surgeon in carving out the perfect shape is required amongst other reasons. Patients who choose to op for full autologous rhinoplasty are advised to select only the most skilled and experienced of surgeons.

Other forms include dermal and fat grafts. These tend to be used for minor augmentation or revisions. However their resorption rate can be unpredictable. While resorption does occur for cartilage grafts, the rate is generally more significant with fat and dermal grafts.