• Video
  • Asian Rhinoplasty: Using Autologous Grafts, Not Synthetic Grafts
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Hi, I'm Dr. Donald Yoo. I'm a facial plastic surgeon here in Beverly Hills, California. I'd like to talk about Asian rhinoplasty. One of the reasons I enjoy Asian rhinoplasty so much is because it can create such a dramatic change in someone's appearance. Because the nose is in the center of the face, it's important that the appearance and the proportions of the nose are in balance with the rest of the facial features. I've had the privilege of operating on Asians. I've just done every ethnicity and I found that one of the keys to successful result is to approach each nose as a personalized, individual nose.

On a computer, I can sit down with them one-on-one and morph those images. That way, I can see what they find aesthetically pleasing and I can be on the same page with them and figure out if we see eye-to-eye in terms of what we see as an attractive, beautiful nose. Also during that time, I'm able to assess their expectations and also if it's surgically possible to achieve the nose that they have envisioned for themselves.

Another way that I avoid a cookie-cutter approach or avoid creating a cookie-cutter nose is by using tissue from the patient's own body. This way, each surgery is tailored to that patient and all that grafts and techniques that I use are unique to that patient. Synthetic grafts are very popular and widespread in Asian rhinoplasty. There are number of reasons for this.

One of the main reasons is that synthetic grafts are readily available and they're ready to use right of the shelf. The problem with this is that those grafts are not individualized. The same graft that is used in your nose is also used on thousands of other patient's noses. The other main disadvantage of using synthetic implants is that there's a risk of infection, migration and extrusion, or ulcerating through the skin, that is much, much higher than using your own tissue.

Using grafts from your own tissue, also known as autologous grafts, is safe. It provides predictable and permanent results and it also provides a nose that looks more natural, because instead of the sharp, visible edges of the silicone or Gore-Tex graft, your own tissue is used to build your nose. As it's incorporated into your body, it becomes a part of your nose. For those reasons, I use exclusively autologous grafts or grafts made from tissue from your own body. By using autologous grafts, I can address each of the aesthetic and functional concerns of my patients.

A number of changes could be made to the way the nose looks during the Asian rhinoplasty. Some of these changes include increasing the height or building of the bridge of the nose to create more definition from looking straight on and to improve the profile.

Another possibility in Asian rhinoplasty is also refining and increasing the projection of the tip of the nose. Some Asians are unhappy with the bulbosity or the width of the tip of their nose, or the fact that it doesn't project far enough from the face. Patients that wish to augment their build of the bridge of their nose, I can augment using a variety of different graft options.

One of the most commonly used grafts is cartilage from inside a nose or from a portion of the nose dividing the left and right nostril right in the middle called the septum. By performing a septoplasty, I can harvest portions of the cartilage and use that cartilage to build other areas of the nose that may be deficient. Another popular option is using cartilage from the ear or the concha. By taking cartilage from a small incision behind the ear, I'm able to use a hidden incision that doesn't alter the appearance, shape, or look of the ear in any way. That cartilage can also be used to build up the nose.

For patients that desire the maximum amount of change, cartilage harvested from a small two and a half centimeter incision right underneath the right breast or chest... I can harvest rib cartilage and use that cartilage to than construct the nose.

Another common complaint from patients seeking Asian rhinoplasty is the flare or the width of the nostrils. Again the flare of the nostrils and the width of the nostrils can also be modified during surgery. Again Asian rhinoplasty is a surgery that I really, really enjoy performing because it can create such a dramatic and significant change.

Feel free to email me or call my office with any questions.

Asian Rhinoplasty: Using Autologous Grafts, Not Synthetic Grafts

Dr. Donald Yoo discusses the nuances of Asian nose job surgery, including surgical techniques and anatomic considerations. Autologous grafts (tissue from your own body) versus synthetic (silicone implants, Gore-tex) implants are compared.