GORE-TEX appears to be safe alternative for rhinoplasty

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.