Pros and Cons of Removing Exisiting Implant from Nose

Removal of your existing implant (regardless of its composition) will almost certainly NOT give you back your pre-operative appearance; your nose would likely look substantially flatter, and may heal with scar irregularities that can be disfiguring. From your photos, you look good from the front, though there are visible irregularities from below in the medial columellar area and nostril rims. This could be due to displacement of the lower end of your implant, or distortion of the medial crus of your own alar cartilage by the end of your implant.

It is evident that revision rhinoplasty is a reasonable consideration, but I would suggest consultation with several revision rhinoplasty experts to determine what exact course of action is best for you. In this case, less may in fact yield a better final result than more surgical intervention! I would probably recommend leaving your implant in and try to improve the cloumella and nostril area. Best wishes!

Dear LandonLosAngeles,

Here are the pros and cons of removing a long-existing nasal implant such as yours:

Pros:


Peace of mind that you no longer have a foreign object in your nose

Reduced chance of an unpredictable implant infection (imagine developing an infected implant while on vacation...)

Maybe returning your nose to its original and more natural form (if that's what you want).


Cons:


You may lose the cosmetic benefits that the implant is providing now

The hassle and cost of undergoing an implant removal procedure (which  BTW is pretty minor and can be done under local anesthesia in most cases).


So, the decision is yours.  I have removed a good number of nasal implants.  In the Caucasian nose, the implants are less tolerated that in Asian noses.  Nevertheless, if you are in doubt, I would tend favor removal.  An office exam can also let your surgeon know if the implant is causing other problems (like nasal obstruction).  All the best, Dr. John Vartanian