What surgeons call a “homologous costal cartilage graft” is tissue taken from a 
donor’s rib area, which can be used to augment the nose during rhinoplasty.
Is this the ideal implant substance for rhinoplasty? That’s a question some surgeons have sought to answer recently.
A study published late last year in Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery discussed the long-term results of this procedure and compared it to other common grafts used during nose surgery.
According to the authors, the ideal graft uses material meeting the following conditions:
- Readily available in large quantities
- Resists infection
- Resists absorption
- Completely integrated into host tissues
- Causes little patient morbidity
Based on their research, rib cartilage taken from human donors appears to be a viable option for rhinoplasty and revision rhinoplasty. Analysis of long-term results indicated that patients who used these grafts experienced a low complication rate and high satisfaction (94.2 percent of the 357 patients said they were satisfied with the results).
Read more about this study at ScienceDaily.com or access the full article through Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery.
Trained cosmetic surgeons know that healthy patients – nonsmokers, at a stable body weight – have more successful surgery outcomes. That’s why they often decline to operate on patients who engage in unhealthy habits, due to the increased risks associated with such patients.
