Q: There are many pros with irradiated rib cartilage such as: no donor site morbidity, ease of use, shorter operation time & healing time. Why most of the doctors I consulted with don’t recommend using it for Asian Rhinoplasty? Since Asians are prone to keloid, don’t know how I feel about Autologous Rib Grafts. Please recommend doctors who are experts in Asian Rhinoplasty with Irradiated Cartilage in LA area. I would love to research more before making a big decision like this. Thank you! 🙂
A: The main downside with irradiated rib cartilage is the fact that it is dead tissue and not living, viable cartilage as from your own rib. This means that it will not become a living part of your nose, but rather will be placed by fibrotic tissue that will eventually resorb.
For permanent results, your own cartilage (autologous grafts) is superior to any homologous grafts.
I perform rib cartilage harvest through a 2 cm incision, which will heal as a thin line which will become unnoticeable in the vast majority of patients.
