Medpor Nose Implants and the Risk for Infection

“infection rate was extremely high and startling” explained by Dr Andrew

Dr. Andrew Winkler who is a cosmetic surgeon from the University of Colorado in Denver spearheaded a research regarding the infection rate of nose implants. What spurred the research was the increasing incidence of the implants protruding from the surgical wound, making the area vulnerable to infection. The popular brand that was observed to have an increased amount of infection than originally expected is Medpor.

In the study they found out that in as much as five nasal surgeries which used Medpor nasal implants resulted into infections. What happened is that the surgical wound was compromised due to the implants poking out from them. It then creates a good entry for bacteria, which can lead to mild to serious infection.

Medpor is one of the popular nose implants in the US alongside Gore-Tex. The study, which was the largest of its type concerning synthetic nasal implants, showed that the incidence rate of infection was quite alarming. That is why Dr. Winkler along with other colleagues found the need to look into this matter so that proper caution can be given to the patients.

He said that Medpor nose implants can still be used as an option but additional caution and education should be provided by the surgeon to the patients.

During the study, researchers found that there were 151 cases of nasal surgeries that used Medpor and Gore-Tex. It was established that Medpor has a higher infection compared to Gore-Tex, with the first having 19%, while the latter only has 5%. There were a total of 19 infections that developed infections and all but one showed the implants protruding through the wound.

What causes this is that Medpor is made out of a firm material in order to support and improve the structure of the nose. It is a high density polyethylene that is also porous in nature. That is why it is more prone to poke through the skin.

Gore-Tex is flimsy by nature as it is made out of polytetrafluoroethylene. It is inserted at the ridge of the nose to add height to the entire structure.

Grafting may be a good option, but Dr. Winkler suggests that it may not be as practical as when they use implants. A graft is when a piece of the patient’s nose, ribcage, or ear cartilage is removed in order to be placed into the patient’s nose. There may be complications involved but these are minimal, however it is expected to cost more because it requires more incisions.

The problem when these implants cause infection is that in order to relieve it, the patient has to undergo another operation yet again to remove or replace the nasal implants. An antibiotic treatment would not suffice that is why reopening of the wounds would have to be done.

But there are also others who say that the results of the studies are simply blown out of proportion because the numbers are actually low. This is not significant enough to cause alarm. They claim that what creates the problem is that there is an increased risk for infection due to the need of another surgery for corrective purposes.

Another is that the tissues of the nose have already been tampered with that is why it is at a higher risk for complications.

However according to Dr. Winkler this information is still very valuable and it will serve as a caution to those who are planning to get Medpor nose implants for rhinoplasty. This should be part of the planning process because it cannot be avoided that there are cases that would need the particular hold and structure that a Medpor implant creates.

If you have questions about rhinoplasty in Sydney and Melbourne, contact us at:

Advance Beauty Cosmetic Surgery, Sydney

Enquiry Hotline: (02) 9280 3632

Website: http://www.advancecosmetic.com

Physical Address: Suite 2/270 Elizabeth St. 

Surry Hills. NSW 2010

Advance Beauty Cosmetic Surgery, Melbourne

Enquiry Hotline: (02) 9280 3632

Website: http://www.advancecosmetic.com

Physical Address: Suite 636/1 Queens Rd. 

St Kilda Tower. Melbourne. VIC 3004