Which is Better, Cadaver or Your Own Cartilage for Nasal Repair? Are There Other Options?

Question

My husband had surgery to get a deviated septum corrected and he ended up with a hole in his septum and the tip of his nose collapsed.

Nima Shemirani, MD · Answer

Dear teresa 1,

	
		Ultimately it is up to the surgeon and the patient to decide
	
		There are advantages to using cadaver cartilage because there is no extra incision, no risk for an injury to the lung, and in some studies, there is less warping of the cartilage
	
		It will also depend on his exam to see how much cartilage he would need and where
	
		When you are ready, go to a consultation where he can be examined and all of your questions can be answered.


	Best regards,

	Nima Shemirani

Angela Sturm, MD · Answer

Each surgeon has a preference for the type of cartilage that they use in nasal surgery. The literature supports irradiated rib (cadaver) cartilage as being well tolerated, safe, reliable, less risky because of it does not require a second surgery for harvest of the cartilage that can be associated with a punctured lung or prolonged pain and has a complication rate that is the same as using your own cartilage. Synthetic materials can have fairly high rates of infection, extrusion or exposure. I prefer irradiated (cadaver) rib cartilage.

Michael Elam, MD (retired) · Answer

I prefer to use the patients own cartilage either from the nose or from a donor site behind ear. Some surgeons use the rib as a donor site however my preference is ear or nose cartilage. Best regards, Michael V. Elam, M.D.

Which is Better, Cadaver or Your Own Cartilage for Nasal Repair? Are There Other Options?

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