Can auricular cartilage graft be removed? (photos)

Question

2 years ago, I had a septorhinoplasty and loved the results. Over time, a slight concavity appeared on the right side of my nose. My doctor offered to fix it via an in-office procedure, and I accepted. He harvested cartilage from the back of my ear and inserted it via the “pocket” technique along the side of my nose. To make a long story short, I miss my nose pre-revision. The graft bulges out and makes my nose look much wider/bulbous. Can this type of graft be removed?

David M. Kowalczyk, MD, MBA, FACS · Answer

Good Afternoon! Yes, the cartilage graft can be removed if needed. Similar to the placement before, it should be able to be taken out through a similar pocket. It does depend on how long it's been relative to the placement of the graft because swelling can certainly occur. I would maybe suggest trying steroid and compressions with nightly taping first to see if improvement can happen. Hope this helps you!

Can auricular cartilage graft be removed? (photos)

Answers (1)