Can my crooked nasal implant be fixed?

There are many reasons for an implant to look crooked but there are definitely ways to help. A thorough evaluation by an experienced rhinoplasty surgeon would be necessary and it would be helpful but not absolutely necessary to have your old operative records. This would help the surgeon to determine what material was used and what the best course of action is to correct the problem. At times, the implant may need to be removed and replaced while at other times minor revisions can be used to camoflauge the appearance of a deviation. 

When you notice that your once straight implant is changing, a thorough evaluation becomes necessary. Scar that forms around an implant naturally can start to warp the implant. The implant may be in a pocket that is too big so it starts to move around. The implant may be changing the shape of underlying structures that give way and cause the implant to move. The overlying skin is thinning asymmetrically. The implant was not shaved symmetrically. Whatever the reason, there is typically a solution that a plastic surgeon or facial plastic surgeon specializing in revision rhinoplasty can provide for you. In general the implant is removed and examined for defects. The pocket is made straight, and if necessary, reduced in size. The implant is then replaced and stabilized.

Nasal implants that are asymmetric can be revised.  Typically the asymmetry is due to one (or more) of these problems:

• The implant is too long for the nose and is bent due to lack of space
• There is deviation of the septum which makes the bridge crooked and thus the implant is crooked
• The pocket for the implant was not made in the midline or it was made too large causing the implant to shift

Typically there are 3 options for revision:

1. Remove, revise and reinsert the original implant
2. Remove and replace with a new implant
3. Remove and replace with cartilage from the patient, typically from the rib.

Yes, as long as the implant is the appropriate size and intact, it can be corrected.  First the implant is typically removed, the pocket made straight, and then the implant reinserted into the anatomical pocket through a closed incision.