Incidence and Predisposing Factors of Postoperative Infection after Rhinoplasty: A Single Surgeon’s 16-Year Experience with 2630 Cases in an East Asian Population

Abstract

Background: This study evaluated the incidence and clinical characteristics of postoperative infection following rhinoplasty. Methods: This article is a retrospective review of 2630 East Asian rhinoplasty cases performed by a single surgeon (Y.J.J.), from July of 2003 to June of 2018. There were 1595 male patients (69.9 percent) and 687 female patients (30.1 percent), and the median age was 31 years. The incidence of infection was compared between primary and revision cases and analyzed according to the materials used. The authors evaluated the organisms cultured and the timeframe of infection development and intervention. Results: There were 2134 primary and 496 revision cases. Materials included autologous costal cartilage (413 cases), conchal cartilage (572 cases), homologous fascia lata (829 cases), homologous costal cartilage (102 cases), Gore-Tex (373 cases), and silicone (32 cases). The authors identified 22 cases (0.84 percent) of postoperative infection, 18 of which were revision. Revision surgery had a 19-fold greater infection rate than primary surgery (3.63 percent versus 0.19 percent). Women were 3.6 times as likely to develop an infection (p = 0.002). The infection rate using autologous costal cartilage was 3.39 percent, and that for simultaneous correction of a septal perforation was 8.57 percent. In 11 cases (50 percent), infection developed within 1 month after surgery (12 ± 7 days). Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was cultured in eight cases. Infection manifested at the nasal tip in 45 percent and the caudal septum/columella in 32 percent of cases. Twenty cases (90.9 percent) underwent surgical débridement. Conclusion: Revision rhinoplasty in women, requiring the use of costal cartilage or simultaneous correction of septal perforation, showed a higher risk of postrhinoplasty infection, which usually manifested at the nasal tip and caudal septum/columella and needed to be managed by surgical débridement. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, IV.

Effectiveness of ChatGPT in Identifying and Accurately Guiding Patients in Rhinoplasty Complications

“…The latter study showcased the importance of careful material selection, simultaneous correction of septal perforation, and vigilant postoperative monitoring to curb the risk of post-rhinoplasty infections. [12] These findings corroborate ChatGPT's proactive approach in recognizing and addressing infection risk, underscoring the necessity of immediate communication and prompt intervention to prevent potential long-term complications.…”

“…This aligns seamlessly with the findings from two pivotal studies that shed light on postoperative infection rates and predisposing factors in the context of rhinoplasty procedures. 11, 12 Toriumi et al conducted a retrospective analysis of over 3,000 rhinoplasty cases, highlighting the rarity of postoperative infections and their devastating impact on patient outcomes. The study demonstrated a mere 0.62% infection rate, reinforcing the efficacy of antibiotic soaks and irrigations in reducing infection rates, particularly in cases of secondary rhinoplasty.…”

“…This aligns seamlessly with the findings from two pivotal studies that shed light on postoperative infection rates and predisposing factors in the context of rhinoplasty procedures. [11,12] Toriumi et al…”

Caracterización Epidemiológica de las Infecciones Cutáneas más Frecuentes en el Abordaje de Procedimientos Quirúrgicos Plásticos en los Últimos 5 Años: Articulo de Revisión

“…La infección se manifestó en la punta nasal en el 45 por ciento y en el tabique/columela caudal en el 32 por ciento de los casos. Veinte casos (90,9 por ciento) fueron sometidos a desbridamiento quirúrgico (29). En cuanto a la abdominoplastia, es un procedimiento con un índice considerable de complicaciones, aunque en su mayoría tiene buen pronóstico.…”

Incidence and Risk Factors of Postoperative Complications After Rhinoplasty: A Multi-Institutional ACS-NSQIP Analysis

“…Therefore, we identified an overall infection occurrence rate of 1.2% (10/834), distributed as 1.9% in male patients (7/362) and 0.6% in female patients (3/472). Although sex differences in terms of infection in rhinoplasty are not well-documented, a 2022 study by Tran & Jang 14 , which retrospectively reviewed 2282 rhinoplasties performed in an East Asian population by a single surgeon, reported an overall infection occurrence rate of 1.0% (22/2282), distributed as 0.5% in male patients (8/1595) and 2.0% in female patients (14/687). The authors hypothesized that this may be the result of East Asian female patients receiving silicone-graft rhinoplasty more frequently than male patients.…”