AUTOLOGOUS CARTILAGE GRAFTS IN OPEN RHINOPLASTY: OUR CLINICAL EXPERIENCE

Material and Methods: Medical records of 128 cases that had undergone open rhinoplasty operation and that had been followed up for at least 6 months (6 to 30 months) postoperatively, were reviewed.

Results: Autologous cartilage grafts were used in 119 (%92.9) open rhinoplasty operations. The graft of choice was the septal cartilage in 111 (%93.3), auricular conchal cartilage in 10 (%8.4), and costal cartilage in 1 (%0.8) cases, respectively. Cartilage grafts were needed to be harvested from more than one donor site in 3 (%2.5) of the cases. Showing full recovery with oral antibiotics, local infection at columellar region was observed in 1 (%0.8) septal cartilage graft recipient, at 7 weeks after the operation. Aesthetic fullness at nasal dorsum was observed in 5 cases due to the use of septal cartilage as dorsal onlay graft; however only one of these patients needed revision. Tip asymmetry was observed in 1 case due to the use of auricular conchal cartilage as an onlay tip graft and this patient was revised. Externally visible, pronounced graft contours was observed with costal cartilage graft in 1 case at the second postoperative month, but this patient had not required revision. Graft resorption or rejection, hematoma at donor site or excessive scar tissue/keloid formation was not encountered.

Conclusion: Safe and effective clinical outcomes are achieved with the use of autologous cartilage grafts in open rhinoplasty operations. Septal cartilage is sufficient and the graft of choice in most of the cases. Keywords : Open rhinoplasty, graft, cartilage, autologous