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A 18-year-old male asked:
Does rhinoplasty include real plastic to use as a skin?
4 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in

Dr. David Sherrisanswered
Facial Plastic Surgery 34 years experience
No: Your own tissue is reshaped to do a rhinoplasty. There is no plastic skin or tissue used.
4.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago

Dr. Anthony Sclafanianswered
Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery 33 years experience
No: Rhinoplasty is "plastic" in that it alters the appearance of the nose. Occasionally a synthetic implant may be used to build up the bridge of the nose, but this is uncommon.
3.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago

Dr. Suzanne Gallianswered
ENT and Head and Neck Surgery 25 years experience
Rhinoplasty: Sometimes synthetic grafts are used to augment the nose but there is no function for plastic, per se. Your own skin covers your nose even after surgery. Be sure to have your nose evaluated by a board certified facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon with expertise in nasal surgery.
3.6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago

Dr. Minas Constantinidesanswered
Plastic Surgery 35 years experience
Plastic in surgery: No, rhinoplasty does not include real plastic. Indeed, we avoid using plastic-like implants (called Silastic) since they tend to get infected and extrude. The "plastic" in plastic surgery refers to the Greek origins of the word, which means "to shape or mold".
3.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
Last updated May 18, 2016
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