Diced Cartilage in Fascia for Major Nasal Dorsal Augmentation in Asians: A Review of 15 Consecutive Cases.

BACKGROUND: Warping remains a primary issue in the use of autologous costal cartilage for nasal augmentation. To mitigate such issues, diced cartilage in fascia (DCIF) has been proposed as an alternative for use in rhinoplasty. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of DCIF in nasal dorsal augmentation for Asian patients, with particular focus on the strengths and weaknesses of this material.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifteen patients who underwent major dorsal augmentation with DCIF during the last 2 years were retrospectively reviewed. Diced cartilage wrapped in deep temporal fascia was used.

RESULTS: Costal cartilage was used as the dicing material in 11 cases, while a mixture of septal and conchal cartilage was used in the other four cases. In the majority of cases, DCIF was inserted from the radix to the supratip. In 10 of the 15 cases, acceptable aesthetic and functional results were obtained; at a mean follow-up of 13.3 months, no complications were observed in these patients. In the remaining five cases, complications such as mild deviation, mild supratip depression, irregularities of the nasal dorsum, considerable resorption, and hair loss at the fascial harvesting site were observed.

CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that DCIF is useful in major nasal dorsal augmentation; however, it involves certain complications. Although obvious warping can be avoided, irregularity and mild deviation may still occur, potentially requiring technical refinement.

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