Silicont implant in my nose - is it safe?

Dear Acinad,Silicone implants are very popular around the Asian continent. They are easier to place than cartilage grafts and are technically less challenging for the surgeons. However, with that there is a lifetime risk of implant infection and extrusion. The risk is small, but if not recognized and treated promptly can lead to disastrous consequences. Too often we see cases of medical tourism gone wrong. The surgeons will claim high success rate, yet there is an inherent bias in their claims. The patients who have a bad outcome simply do not follow up with their surgeon. This skews the statistics in favor of the surgeon. Silicone implant is the most common culprit. In my opinion cartilage is still a better option. If you are going to choose an implant, consider Goretex PTFE implant. Most studies show that it is a safer implant with lower complication rate. Best of luck.  Dr. Joe

Thank you for your question.If done correctly, silicone implants in the nose can be well tolerated. Sometimes, the implant needs to be removed or replaced.

To be sure, return to see your surgeon and follow his or her instructions.

I hope this helps.

In my practice, I do not use silicone implants for rhinoplasty augmentation. My preference is to use autologous tissues such as the patients own cartilage and soft tissue for augmentation rhinoplasty. That being said, there are rhinoplasty surgeons that routinely use silicone implants during rhinoplasty and have good luck with them. The downside to using them is that they are more susceptible to infection than autologous tissues. Rhinoplasty with a silicone implant is typically treated the same postoperatively with regards to postop care, etc. I would avoid manipulating the implant from side to side as this can create a mobile implant and lead to a malposition requiring additional procedures to secure it.