Design and Application of a Novel Silicone Nasal Implant

Abstract

Abstract Background Traditional silicone implants used in augmentation rhinoplasty lead to postoperative complications. Objectives To introduce a novel silicone implant designed to reduce postoperative complications. Methods The author designed a novel modification for the traditional silicone nasal implant, which has a particle surface, vertical and horizontal grooves, and a special vertical board to support the nasal tip. A total of 114 consecutive clinical cases were retrospectively reviewed from September 2016 to November 2022, with a minimum of 36 months and an average 51 months of follow-up. All patients underwent augmentation rhinoplasty using this novel implant, with 97 (85.09%) patients using only the silicone and 17 (14.91%) the silicone implant with conchal cartilage. Surgical complications such as sliding down, redness, extrusion, deviation, translucency, capsular contracture, or infection were recorded. Results The median patient age was 28 (range, 18-55) years, with 109 female and 5 male patients. Among the 114 cases, 46 (40.35%) involved primary surgery and 68 (59.65%) involved revisional surgery. The overall complication rate was 4.39%, and 0.88% of the patients had slight redness, 0.88% had intermittent pain, and 2.63% had infections. No other complication was observed, and all complications occurred in revisional surgeries. A total of 109 patients (95.61%) showed satisfying results without any postoperative complication. None of the patients with primary surgery reported postoperative complications. Conclusions The novel silicone nasal implant can effectively reduce the rate of postoperative complications. Therefore, augmentation rhinoplasty using this implant enables a more natural-looking outcome. Level of Evidence: 3