The most common type of nose implant used in rhinoplasty surgery, Medpor, may be linked to more problems than originally thought, according to a Reuters report on new research.
The Medpor implant is a porous, high-density polyethylene plastic and is used in most “nose jobs” performed in the U.S. A new study from University of Colorado at Denver showed that previous complication rates involving Medpor may have underestimated the risks associated with the device, specifically the risk of infection.
The lead author on the research has said that the results of his research are “startling” and described the rate of complications as “extremely high.” Infections were the most commonly reported complication and happened in one out of every five nose jobs performed. In every case in which an infection occurred after the surgery, the implant eventually poked through the surgery wound, breaking the skin and causing serious pain and other medical problems for the unlucky patients.
However, those nose jobs performed by grafting a patient’s bone from another portion of their body and that did not use Medpor did not result in any infections or other complications. That method, the research suggests, is the best option but is not always possible. In cases where such an option is not possible, the study’s authors said that another product, Gore-Tex, was associated with only a 5 percent complication rate, compared to Medpor’s 19 percent.
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Source: “Common nose implant has high infection rate: study,” by Frederik Joelving, published at Reuters.com.
