Potential Side Effects from Removing Cartilage from the Ear for Revision Rhinoplasty?

Question

Hello, 8 monts ago I had a revision rhinoplasty with ear cartilage. I have some questions regarding the ear: Can removing cartilage from the ear lead to ear collapse after years? My ear feels very soft where the cartilage was removed.So what happens when the ear ages? Possible to have ear reconstrustion? And what about the scar that is placed in the front side of the ear and is very visible ? What can I do?

Jed H. Horowitz, MD, FACS · Answer

ear cartilage grafts for nose revision surgery:

	
		these are usually invisible
	
		scar guard, kelocote , mederma can help
	
		laser may be last resort if needed
	
		softness is common
	
		distortion of ear more unusual

Stephen Weber MD, FACS · Answer

Removal of ear cartilage does not usually change the appearance of the ear. Once the ear is healed, it's unusual for the removal of cartilage to change the shape as long as the cartilage at the outer part of the "bowl" of the ear is preserved. The scar is another issue. This can be visible if placed on the outside of the ear. Because of this, I always remove the cartilage with an incision on the backside of the ear where it's hidden. When this is done, it's very unusual for anyone to detect that cartilage was borrowed from the ear for rhinoplasty of reconstructive surgery.Stephen Weber MD, FACS

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

Ear cartilage is often used for rhinoplasty grafting purposes.  It usually is taken from the conceal bowl and should not destabilize the ear.

Samson Lee, MD · Answer

Generally speaking it should be very rare to have a change in the appearance of the ear after cartilage removal. One must take care to avoid taking too much from the vertical ridge of the conchal bowl which can lead to deprojection of the ear. Also if the incision is made right over where the cartilage is taken this could lead to a stepoff, generally you should make the incision away from where the cartilage is removed. You should talk to your surgeon.

Richard W. Fleming, MD (retired) · Answer

If the cartilage was removed from the bowl of your ear for a rhinoplasty revision there will be no long term problems with the shape of your ear or a risk of ear collapse. If the scar is still visible 8 months after surgery talk to your surgeon about topical gels, laser treatment, or scar revision.

Potential Side Effects from Removing Cartilage from the Ear for Revision Rhinoplasty?

Answers (5)

Answer: Possible complication after ear cartilage removal

Answer: Possible complication after ear cartilage removal

Answer: Side Effects after Removal of Ear Cartilage for Rhinoplasty

Answer: Side Effects after Removal of Ear Cartilage for Rhinoplasty

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Everything you need to know about Revision Rhinoplasty

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Potential Side Effects from Removing Cartilage from the Ear for Revision Rhinoplasty?

Answers (5)

Answer: Possible complication after ear cartilage removal

Answer: Possible complication after ear cartilage removal

Answer: Side Effects after Removal of Ear Cartilage for Rhinoplasty

Answer: Side Effects after Removal of Ear Cartilage for Rhinoplasty

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Revision Rhinoplasty

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.