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Received: 3 August 2020 Revised: 20 February 2021 Accepted: 12 May 2021

DOI: 10.1111/dth.14989

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Our experience with lipofilling in secondary rhinoplasty, into a


new era

Raymond Challita1 | Ziad Sleiman1 | Nagham Bazzi2 | George Ghanime1,3

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

1 | I N T RO DU CT I O N nose deformity.5 Even though surgery is the first choice in


rhinoplasty,6 recent studies showed that non-surgical techniques can
Rhinoplasty is a common and popular aesthetic procedure performed be a reliable alternative for rhinoplasty especially in secondary rhino-
1
worldwide. It continues to rank among the top five cosmetic surgical plasty.6,7 And by offering these techniques physicians are providing
procedures performed in 2019. According to the statistics of the patients with less invasive, more economic, and an alternative tech-
American Society of plastic surgeons, 207 284 rhinoplasties were per- nique for non-surgical candidates.8
formed in 2019.2 The regenerative properties of fat grafts has been always an
In 1880, Lipofilling was used for the first time in reconstructive evolving paradigm and a subject of intense research. Fat grafting
surgery to correct facial deformities, to reconstruct defects post onco- restores youthful appearance and possesses regenerative properties
logical surgery, to treat complex wounds, and to manage scars.3 It was by the stimulation of collagen neosynthesis.9 Skin rejuvenation can be
also utilized to correct nasal Malformations in Hallerman–Seriff syn- the result of the trans-differentiation of pre-adipocytes cells present
4
drome. Therefore its usage is increasing widely and particularly in in the adipose tissue to epithelial stem cells.10
4
maxillofacial and plastic surgeries. Thus lipofilling is a potential filler of reference for rhinoplasty.11
Nowadays we are in the middle of a new era of rhinoplasty, in And it can be performed on the dorsum, radix, glabella, pre-maxilla,6
which non-surgical rhinoplasty is gaining popularity in the interest of and nasal pyramid.11
its fewer side effects, shorter interventional time, and rapid recovery Despite the increasing demand for non-surgical techniques in rhi-
time when compared to surgery. In the nineteenth century, non- noplasty, only few articles discuss nose lipofilling in secondary rhino-
surgical rhinoplasty was performed for the first time to treat saddle plasty. Moreover, nasal fat grafting is still an uncommon procedure

Dermatologic Therapy. 2021;e14989. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/dth © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC. 1 of 7


https://doi.org/10.1111/dth.14989
2 of 7 CHALLITA ET AL.

when compared to facial lipofilling and to other nasal synthetic fillers


like Hyaluronic acid.11 This retrospective study aims to review our
practice with nose lipofilling in a private plastic surgery clinic in Beirut,
Lebanon, in treating rhinoplasty sequelae and aims to identify the
effectiveness and the safety of this procedure.

2 | MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conducted an observational retrospective study from 2012 to


2020 for patients seeking secondary rhinoplasty.
Inclusion criteria included: Patients operated at our clinic using
lipofilling for the correction of a secondary deformity post rhinoplasty.
Exclusion criteria included patients who have undergone any sur-
gical or aesthetic procedure to correct their deformity in the
past year.
A total of 27 patients were included. Injected areas depended
solely on patients' complaints. All patients were informed that their
images might be anonymously used for scientific purposes at a later
stage and their consent was obtained. Moreover, the principles out-
lined in the Declaration of Helsinki were followed and respected.
Fat cells harvest was done under local anesthesia from areas with
fat excess like: the abdominal area, flanks, thighs, and knees. The most
common donor site was the lower abdominal area with two patients
benefiting from the flank area.
Infiltration was done with 20 cc of xylocaine 1% with adrenaline F I G U R E 1 External entry points (bleu x) and cannula pathways
1:100 000 diluted with Normal saline. Fat was harvested by manual (black arrows) for the nasal zones to be corrected. The plane of
injection: Supraperiosteal
suction using a 3 mm diameter Coleman cannula connected to a 10 cc
syringe. Fat cells were then prepared and filtrated using a funnel. Pure
fat cells were subsequently inserted into multiple 1 cc syringes and 3 | RE SU LT S
injected using a 1 mm diameter Coleman cannula.
The entry points were made with a blade (number 11) after apply- A total of 22 female and 5 male patients were included in this study.
ing local anesthesia (xylocaine 1% with adrenaline 1:100 000). Entry These patients were operated for the correction of nasal deformities
points depended on the zone to be corrected. For nasal dorsum injec- post primary rhinoplasty. The nasal deformities treated were as fol-
tion the internal or external approach was used. In the internal low: 12 patients were operated for dorsum irregularities, 3 patients
approach used a small incision in the intercartilagenous area for the were operated for a V deformity, 8 patient for saddle nose deformity,
cannula insertion. In the ⁣external approach we used supratip or lat- and 4 patients for visible osteotomy lines. To note that 4 patients
eral nasal entry points (Figure 1). The plane of injection was the supra were lost in the follow up.
periosteal layer. The patients were seen at 1 week, 3 months, The mean age of the patients was 42. The amount of fat injected
6 months, and 1 year. ranged from 1.5 to 4.5 cc with a mean of 2.2 cc. Patients were seen at
Patient satisfaction was measured using a modified “rhinoplasty 1 week, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year. A total of 19 patients
outcome evaluation questionnaire” (ROE) in which the breathing benefited from one procedure. The other 8 patients received a second
parameter was omitted and the final total score was 20. The modified lipofilling session at 6 months.
questionnaire has five questions, with five answer options, graded Patients' satisfaction was measured after 1 year. Twenty patients
from 0 to 4.12 The questionnaire assesses the patient's satisfaction were satisfied with the result (Figures 2–4). The ROE mean score was ini-
with the appearance of the nose, degree of confidence, social interac- tially 8.65 ± 2.17, and 14.82 ± 3.29 at 1 year post nasal fat filling (Table 1).
tions, professional limitations, and desire to alter the appearance of The aesthetic outcome ranged from very good in 15 patients,
the nose. The end result was the patients' total level of satisfaction, good in 5 patients, and poor in 3 patients. To note that a second
the improvement in ROE score, and plastic surgeons' evaluation at lipofilling session was needed in patients suffering from a severe sad-
1 year. Patients noted if they are satisfied or not. Finally, the aesthetic dle nose deformity (Figure 5). The three poor results were observed in
result was rated as very good, good or poor by two plastic surgeons two patients with saddle nose deformity and in one patient with visi-
after comparing pre and post-operative photos. ble osteotomy lines and a nose deviation.
CHALLITA ET AL. 3 of 7

F I G U R E 2 Patient treated for dorsal


irregularities (A). A one session of fat filling with
1.5 cc of fat injected. The results seen are at
1 year post op (B)

F I G U R E 3 Patient treated for dorsal


irregularities (A). A one session of fat filling with
2 cc of fat injected. The results seen are at 1 year
post op (B)

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.

F I G U R E 4 Patient treated for visible


osteotomy lines and dorsal irregularity (A, B). A
one session of lipofilling was done. 1.5 cc of fat
were injected on each side and 1.5 cc injected on
the nasal dorsum. The results seen are at 1 year
post op (B, D)

T A B L E 1 The mean values of ROE


Deformity N ROE mean pre Fat filling Mean ROE at 1 year
pre and post lipofilling according to the
Dorsal irregularities 10 9.3 ± 1.1 16.2 ± 0.87 deformity treated
V deformity 3 7 ± 2.16 12.6 ± 4.02
Saddle nose 7 7.14 ± 1.8 12.71 ± 3.95
Visible osteotomy lines 3 11.66 ± 1.24 17.33 ± 0.47

Abbreviations: N, number of patients; ROE, rhinoplasty outcomes evaluation.

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

F I G U R E 5 Patient treated for


saddle nose deformity (A). Two
sessions of lipofilling were done. The
first one 2.5 cc of fat were injected in
the dorsum. Another session was
needed at 6 months with the use of
another 1.5 cc of fat. The results seen
are at 1 year post op (B)

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,
(3):126-131.
where patients suffered from only a mild edema and ecchymosis that 2. Cosmetic plastic surgery statistics [Internet]. 2019. https://www.
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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-
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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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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.
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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.
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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.
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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-
patients. Aesthet Surg J. 2016;36(6):648-656.
ing can increase patients' satisfaction and decrease side effects. Further 17. Gornitsky J, Viezel-Mathieu A, Alnaif N, Azzi AJ, Gilardino MS. A sys-
large multicentric randomized controlled studies are needed to assess the tematic review of the effectiveness and complications of fat grafting
use of nose lipofilling in various indications and to assess its advantages in the facial region. JPRAS Open. 2018;19:87-97.
18. van Dongen JA, van Boxtel J, Harmsen MC, Stevens HP. The devel-
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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.
Aesthetic Plast Surg. 2020;45:506-520.
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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25. Abbas OL. Revision rhinoplasty: measurement of patient-reported How to cite this article: Challita R, Sleiman Z, Bazzi N,
outcomes and analysis of predictive factors. Springerplus. 2016;5(1):
Ghanime G. Our experience with lipofilling in secondary
1472.
26. Challita R, Shouman M, Ghanime G. Rhinoplasty and external nasal rhinoplasty, into a new era. Dermatologic Therapy. 2021;
splinting: is it really a must? Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open. 2019;7(8): e14989. https://doi.org/10.1111/dth.14989
e2374.

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