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Our Experience With Lipofilling in Secondary Rhinoplasty, Into A New Era
Our Experience With Lipofilling in Secondary Rhinoplasty, Into A New Era
DOI: 10.1111/dth.14989
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
1
Department of Plastic & Reconstructive
Surgery, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Abstract
Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon Rhinoplasty is a commonly performed cosmetic surgery. Clinicians are facing an
2
Faculty of Medical Sciences, Lebanese
increased demand on non-surgical procedures, therefore liquid rhinoplasty is gaining
University, Beirut, Lebanon
3
Head Division, Department of Plastic & popularity. Given the characteristic of lipofilling to rejuvenate and improve skin tex-
Reconstructive Surgery, Lebanese University ture, fat grafting can be used to reshape the nose in secondary rhinoplasty. Fat was
Hospital Geitawi, Beirut, Lebanon
injected in 27 patients with a mean age of 42 years. Volume of fat ranged from 1.5
Correspondence to 4.5 cc with a mean of 2.2 cc. Patients were seen at 1 week, 3 months, 6 months,
Raymond Challita, PGY5, Plastic &
Reconstructive Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, and 1 year. Patient satisfaction was measured using the Rhinoplasty Outcome Evalu-
Lebanese University, Lebanese University ation questionnaire and plastic surgeons' evaluation. After 1 year follow up,
Hospital Geitawi, Beirut, Lebanon.
Email: raychallita@gmail.com 20 patients were satisfied with the results at 1 year. The aesthetic outcome was
noted as very good in 11 patients, good in 9 patients, and poor in 3 patients. Most of
the patients had an improvement in skin texture with trophic effect on the skin. No
complications were seen in our series According to this study, nasal lipofilling is a safe
and efficacious filler in secondary rhinoplasty. However, more studies are needed to
assess the indications and limitations of nose lipofilling.
KEYWORDS
non-surgical rhinoplasty, nose fat filling, regenerative medicine, revision rhinoplasty
Additionally, most patients remarked a skin texture improvement. reaction, infection, and filler migration can occur.14 Despite this fact,
No complications other than mild ecchymosis and edema were the use of hyaluronic acid and calcium hydroxyapatite injections in
reported in our series. And a low fat resorption rate was proved by nose filling is still common.12 According to Williams et al. Hyaluronic
the number of patients requiring another procedure. acid is the most common filler used in non-surgical rhinoplasty14
Meanwhile, the use of autologous fat in the nasal area is still not pop-
ular, although it can be considered a safe, permanent, and a simple
4 | DISCUSSION autologous procedure.15
Fat grafts have the ability to enhance skin texture and quality which
Nowadays, patients seek more non-surgical and noninvasive proce- was expressed by most of the patients in our study. To note that various
dures. Thus not surprisingly, liquid rhinoplasty is gaining popularity. studies in the literature also described the regenerative properties of adi-
Despite this increase in the demand on soft tissue fillers, an ideal filler pocytes derived stem cells (ADSC). This was consistent with Kao et al.
has not been yet discovered with various side effects witnessed with study that enrolled 198 Asian patients for nasal dorsum augmentation
the currently used products.13 When used in the nasal area adverse with fat. At the end of the procedure, most patients achieved an
reactions like ecchymosis, hematoma, nodule formation, local skin improvement in their skin texture, nasal wrinkles, and in skin pores. Add
4 of 7 CHALLITA ET AL.
to that, patients witnessed a fresher and shinier skin color.16 These The resorption of fat cells can be a limiting factor.15 The percent-
results are ensured by ADCSs that promote angiogenesis and improve age of facial fat grafting survival is variable. With improved fat han-
scar healing.17 However, there is a controversy whether the effect of dling, high survival rates of 83% with an average percentage of 47%
ADSCs is assured by their multi-lineage differentiation ability or by the were attained with a range of follow-up of 3–24 months.19 This is in
secretions of paracrine factors, exosomes, and cytokines that stimulate contrast to synthetic fillers, especially hyaluronic acid where a tempo-
18
skin regeneration. As a result, this treatment can be geared for cos- rary effect is present with the need of subsequent injections or touch
metic purposes and skin disorders such as radiation dermatitis and ups.14 Fat retention rate depends on both intrinsic and extrinsic fac-
17
chronic ulceration. This property is not found in synthetic fillers. tors. Intrinsic factors are related to the patient whereas extrinsic
CHALLITA ET AL. 5 of 7
factors depend on the fat harvest technique, fat preparation, and the lateral osteotomy sequelae,11 disinsertion of triangular cartilage or
20
injection method. Fat harvest technique has a higher survival rate nasal bone with inverted V deformation,11 dorsum irregularities
3
when performed in minimally invasive methods. There is a debate or nostril notches11 and in Hallermann–Streiff syndrome.4
between the effectiveness of four main techniques: vacuum aspira- Imperfections post rhinoplasty are common and a revision rhino-
3
tion, syringe aspiration, and surgical excision. On the other side, plasty is indicated in certain cases. However it is not always feasible.18
Kakagia et al. stated that surgical fat excision is better than fat aspira- Moreover, there is an increased risk of patient dissatisfaction in revi-
tion. Additionally, cannula size and holes' numbers play a pivotal role sion surgeries. This may be due to a change in the nasal anatomy, the
in fat longevity. Erdim et al, proved that the viability of fat grafts development of scar tissue, the loss of cartilaginous support,
increased when fat was harvested with a 6 mm cannulas instead of a the altered blood supply, and the compromised soft tissue envelope.23
17,21
4 or a 2 mm cannula. Here comes the role of fat grafting which is a relatively simple and
However, in our series, we used the syringe aspiration technique safe procedure to camouflage nose imperfections as already discussed
with a 3 mm Coleman cannula. Fat processing was done with funnel by Baptista et al.11 To add to that the importance of lipofilling in
filtration, and fat cells were injected in small aliquots. This technique improving and remodeling scar tissue, in filling the subcutaneous tis-
showed good viability of fat cells as proved by the low rate of second- sue, and in improving the skin quality post rhinoplasty.24 This may set
ary procedures at 1 year follow up. A second procedure was only used another indication for nasal lipofilling where nasal fat filling could be
in eight patients with severe saddle nose deformity. Fat Graft survival used to improve and increase nasal soft tissue quality prior to second-
is unpredictable, and less than predicted may be resorbed. Thus, a ary rhinoplasty to ameliorate the results of an already challenging pro-
larger sample and longer follow-up are needed to assess its longevity cedure.11 This regenerative characteristic of scar remodeling cannot
and resorption. For this reason, we do not recommend an over- be obtained with others synthetic fillers.
correction of the deformity. Adipocytes' viability and activity also In a longitudinal study that used fat grafts to correct rhinoplasty
22
depends on the fat donor site. Femoral sites have been proven to sequelae,11 the volume of fat injected ranged between 1 and 6 cc
have the greatest lipogenic activity, whereas facial fat had low adipo- according to the deformity corrected (dorsum irregularity, visible lat-
cytes activity.22 eral osteotomies and saddle nose) and to its severity.11 However, in
Finally, fat injection is preferably performed in multiple another study, fat volume depended on the presence of a complimen-
small-volumes, using small-gauge cannulas to reduce ischemic and tary rhinoplasty in nasal reshaping.6 Fat harvested volume ranged
3
bleeding risks and improve survival. In our practice, we used 1 mm from 3 to 12 ml in lipofilling alone, and 6–12 ml of fat in lipofilling
Coleman injection cannulas to deposit small fat parcels in a supra peri- complementary to rhinoplasty.6 In our study, our aim was to correct a
osteal layer. rhinoplasty deformity that was performed 1 year ago, thus the
Fat grafting is widely used in breast reconstruction to correct amount of fat injection (1.5–4.5 cc) was close to the study where
breast shape after surgery.3 It's also proven to reduce scar contrac- lipofilling was done solely.
ture, promote wound healing, collagen deposition, neoangiogenesis, The first effect of lipofilling is volume augmentation.11 It also has
and dermal hyperplasia in burned patients.3 It can be also used in the ability to reduce nasal deformities and ameliorate respiration dur-
6,11
adjunct to a primary rhinoplasty, or as a unique treatment to ing sleep (a functional gain) in Hallermann–Streiff syndrome.4 Patient
4,6
improve nasal aesthetics. Fat grafting can be also used as an alter- satisfaction after lipofilling for aesthetic purposes was good to high in
native to secondary rhinoplasty in treating saddle nose deformity,11 80% of patients.11 In our study, more than 80% of the patients were
6 of 7 CHALLITA ET AL.
satisfied with the result. To note that the satisfaction rate usually is OR CID
decreased in older population and in secondary rhinoplasty when Raymond Challita https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4521-0899
25
compared to primary procedures.
Nose lipofilling has a relatively low complication rate when com- RE FE RE NCE S
pared to using synthetic implants.3 Ecchymosis was reported in 1. Miyahara LK, Stefanini R, Suguri VM, Wawginiak GH, Balsalobre RA,
combined lipofilling and surgical rhinoplasty, and only mild swelling Haddad FLM. Evaluation of sleep quality and risk of obstructive sleep
apnea in patients referred for aesthetic rhinoplasty. Sleep Sci. 2019;12
occurred during lipofilling solely.6 This was consistent with our study,
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where patients suffered from only a mild edema and ecchymosis that 2. Cosmetic plastic surgery statistics [Internet]. 2019. https://www.
resolved in the coming week of fat filling. On the other side, surgical plasticsurgery.org/documents/News/Statistics/2019/plastic-surgery-
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3. Simonacci F, Bertozzi N, Grieco MP, Grignaffini E, Raposio E. Proce-
infection.26 To note that a secondary surgical rhinoplasty can aggra-
dure, applications, and outcomes of autologous fat grafting. Ann Med
vate the shape of nose and make it more difficult to correct.27 Here Surg (Lond). 2017;20:49-60.
comes the role of fat filling which can as previously mentioned 4. Benateau H, Rocha CS, Rocha Fde S, Veyssiere A. Treatment of the
improve and remodel the scar to ameliorate the outcome with low nasal abnormalities of Hallermann-Streiff syndrome by lipofilling. Int J
Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2015;44(10):1246-1249.
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In our series, we did not have vascular complications associated
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Coleman cannula, in a retrograde manner, using low injection pres- 36 patients. Aesthetic Plast Surg. 2011;35(5):916-922.
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Facial Plast Surg Clin North Am. 2019;27(3):355-365.
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possible complication after glabellar lipofilling and can cause middle Clin North Am. 2013;21(2):241-252.
cerebral artery embolism.28 A good knowledge of nasal vascular anat- 9. Mojallal A, Lequeux C, Shipkov C, et al. Improvement of skin quality
omy is thus required to prevent these side effects.6 after fat grafting: clinical observation and an animal study. Plast
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Lipofillingis a relatively simple alternative and low-cost procedure
10. Derby BM, Dai H, Reichensperger J, et al. Adipose-derived stem cell
compared to surgical rhinoplasty.17 It's superior to other fillers due to its to epithelial stem cell transdifferentiation: a mechanism to potentially
longer effects and less need for repeated sessions in the long term.6 It improve understanding of fat grafting's impact on skin rejuvenation.
has also better tolerance and rare rejection risk.6 So fat is an autologous, Aesthet Surg J. 2014;34(1):142-153.
11. Baptista C, Nguyen PSA, Desouches C, Magalon G, Bardot J,
safe, nontoxic, non-immunogenic, non-teratogenic, non-carcinogenic,
Casanova D. Correction of sequelae of rhinoplasty by lipofilling.
easy to harvest, long lasting material that might be considered as a filler J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg. 2013;66(6):805-811.
of reference for facial rejuvenation and nasal surgery. 12. Khan N, Rashid M, Khan I, et al. Satisfaction in patients after rhino-
plasty using the rhinoplasty outcome evaluation questionnaire.
Cureus. 2019;11(7):e5283.
13. Requena L, Requena C, Christensen L, Zimmermann US, Kutzner H,
5 | C O N CL U S I O N Cerroni L. Adverse reactions to injectable soft tissue fillers. J Am Acad
Dermatol. 2011;64(1):1-34.
Fat grafting is widely used in numerous applications in maxillo-facial and 14. Williams LC, Kidwai SM, Mehta K, Kamel G, Tepper OM, Rosenberg JD.
Nonsurgical rhinoplasty: a systematic review of technique, outcomes,
plastic surgery. Nonetheless, it is rarely used in nasal procedures. This
and complications. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2020;146(1):41-51.
study paves the way to standardize lipofilling as an important tool to ben- 15. Khouri RK, Smit JM, Cardoso E, et al. Percutaneous aponeurotomy
efit from in the correction of postrhinoplasty deformities and to improve and lipofilling: a regenerative alternative to flap reconstruction? Plast
outcome before a secondary surgery. Given its rejuvenation properties Reconstr Surg. 2013;132(5):1280-1290.
and its volumetric effect, it can be applied as a treatment for nasal 16. Kao WP, Lin YN, Lin TY, et al. Microautologous fat transplantation for
primary augmentation rhinoplasty: long-term monitoring of 198 Asian
inherited deformities as well as for cosmetic purposes. Thus nasal fat fill-
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large multicentric randomized controlled studies are needed to assess the tematic review of the effectiveness and complications of fat grafting
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CONF LICT OF IN TE RE ST 19. Lv Q, Li X, Qi Y, Gu Y, Liu Z, Ma GE. Volume retention after facial fat
The authors declare no potential conflict of interest. grafting and relevant factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
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20. Lin S, Hsiao YC, Huang JJ, et al. Minimal invasive rhinoplasty: fat
DATA AVAI LAB ILITY S TATEMENT injection for nasal dorsum contouring. Ann Plast Surg. 2017;78(3
The data that support the findings of this study are available on Suppl 2):S117-S23.
request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly 21. Erdim M, Tezel E, Numanoglu A, Sav A. The effects of the size of lipo-
suction cannula on adipocyte survival and the optimum temperature
available due to privacy or ethical restrictions.
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