How common is augmentation in Asian rhinoplasty and how is this achieved?

A common request from Asian patients who seek rhinoplasty is agumentation of the bridge of the nose. This can be achieved through a variety of methods. One method is injection of filler material. This is an in-office procedure. The filler material (such as Radiesse, Juvederm, Restylane) is not permanent and may last approximately 6 months to 1 year. Another method is surgery. During rhinoplasty surgery, augmentation can be achieved with an implant, such as silicone. The risk of such implant is infection, extrusion of the implant, and loss of skin overlying the implant. I prefer using the patient’s own cartilage (from ear, rib, or septum) to achieve augmentation of the bridge of the nose. In addition to the cartilage, we use a thick fibrous tissue from the scalp near the ear called temporalis fascia to supplement this augmentation.