When is cartilage needed after primary rhinoplasty?

Hello,

When you are deprojecting the nose you don't need rib cartilage you should be able to use the nose in the nose which is called septo cartilage and that should be enough cartilage to do everything you need. If the surgeon wants to use extensive grafting they may want to use rib cartilage but that is not usually the case in most primary's.

Good afternoon from Maryland!

In the vast majority of cases, no additional cartilage source other than your own nasal septum would be needed for a surgery that you describe. Certain ethnicities and nose types do not have nasal septal cartilage (you can't take the whole thing otherwise the nose would collapse) or their goal is to build up the flat, ill-defined bridge. These are the people that may require rib cartilage in a primary rhinoplasty and I doubt you would fall into one of those categories.

I hope that helps! As always, an in-person consultation will help you find the best surgeon for you.

Wishing you all the best!
Dr. Sitapara
Prime Facial Plastic Surgery

Hi! Thanks for your question. I frequently use septal cartilage for grafts during primary rhinoplasty. Even when I am making the nose smaller, I used cartilage grafts to provide support and definition. Some specific uses for cartilage are to build up a flat nasal bridge, to straighten a crooked nose, to improve nasal function by providing support to the nasal valve and to refine the nasal tip.
Rib cartilage is rarely needed for a primary rhinoplasty. It may be needed if the septal cartilage is small and weak and in the specific situations where more support is needed. I recommend scheduling a consultation with a facial plastic surgeon. Best of luck!

It does sound like your nose does not need to be augmented. Sometimes, the tip needs additional support, especially if you are making it smaller. So the septal cartilage is mostly used for that. It's rare that rib cartilage would be needed in primarily rhinoplasty unless the nose is very flat and skin is very thick. Otherwise, rib is usually used in revision cases. Be sure to see a rhinoplasty specialist for consultation.

A Rhinoplasty is sculpting of the underlying delicate cartilage and bone irregularities. Only if there is a depression of significant defect is additional cartilage required. This is usually obtained from the nose septum