NEW YORK (Reuters Health) -
For patients who undergo
plastic surgery on the nose (rhinoplasty), GORE-TEX implants
are a safe and inexpensive alternative to using tissue grafts
taken from another part of the patient's body, according to the
results of a 17-year review of more than 500 patients.

For initial and subsequent rhinoplasty procedures in
patients with enough internal nasal tissue and external soft
tissue coverage, “GORE-TEX should be strongly considered for
major and minor corrections of the nasal wall and bridge in
properly selected patients,” Dr. Krzysztof Conrad and
colleagues, from the University of Toronto, advise.

The review, which was conducted at a teaching hospital,
community hospital, and private facial cosmetic surgery center,
involved 521 patients who were followed for up to 17 years. A
total of 685 GORE-TEX implants were placed, all by one surgeon.

The new findings appear in the Archives of Facial Plastic
Surgery.

The implants, which were 1 to 10 mm thick, showed
“excellent stability and tissue tolerance.” Complications
requiring implant removal developed in only 1.9 percent of
patients and included infection, swelling, and cases in which
the implant moved or partially came out.

“The unlimited supply and natural feel of the GORE-TEX
implant,” the authors comment, and the “excellent blending”
with the contour of the nose, plus the minimal operating time,
“outweigh the disadvantage of occasional complications, all of
which can be treated successfully as long as they are not
neglected,” Conrad's team concludes.

SOURCE: Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery, July/August,
2008.