Revision rhinoplasty (nose aesthetic surgery) is quite a challenging procedure. The reason is simple: as everyone knows, creating something from scratch is easier than correcting something that is wrong.

In the first rhinoplasty surgery, the cartilage needed for the surgeon to reshape the nose is already present within the nose itself. However, once this cartilage is damaged or used, there is usually not enough cartilage left inside for a second surgery. The initial nose aesthetic surgery may fail structurally or functionally, sometimes due to the surgeon’s lack of adequate knowledge.

At this point, a second rhinoplasty operation is required to restore the patient’s ability to breathe or to correct a drooping nasal tip. But since there is no cartilage left in the nose for this second surgery, as a physician, I prefer to harvest cartilage from the patient’s own body to use in the nose.

While the ear is one of the first options that comes to mind when thinking of cartilage, we cannot obtain enough cartilage from the ear to use in the nose. Therefore, I prefer to take cartilage from the patient’s own rib.

Rib cartilage is a good option for me because the patient is not affected in any way after the operation, and the rib provides an adequate source of cartilage during the procedure. In women, the incision is usually made beneath the breast, minimizing the visibility of the scar. Typically, the length of the incision does not exceed 3-4 cm.