Question:
I’ve heard that some surgeons prefer to wrap something called fascia around the cartilage when cartilage grafts are used for rhinoplasty. Can you explain what fascia is and what this does?
Answer:
Whenever a cartilage graft is place in the nasal bridge during either primary or revision rhinoplasty surgery there is always the risk of either shifting of the graft or the ability to feel or see the graft underneath the skin of the nose. Fascia is a thin piece of tissue that exists beneath the skin. The most common place from where fascia is harvested is in the scalp region above the ear. The temporalis fascia. The fascia can be wrapped around the cartilaginous graft, usually harvested from the nasal septum or ear, prior to placement into the nose during rhinoplasty providing some cushioning and camouflage to the graft especially in a thin skinned individual. I use fascia to wrap the graft in some primary rhinoplasty surgeries but, more frequently in revision rhinoplasty surgery.
Posted by Dr. Philip Schoenfeld