Surgical Removal of Foreign Material by Suction Curettage After Injection Rhinoplasty: Patient-Reported Outcomes

Background Though generally safe, injection rhinoplasty with synthetic non-hyaluronic fillers may lead to various deformities, which impose a psychological burden on the patients. As the injected material is technically hard to be fully cleared in the nose, the surgery is primarily chosen to address the patients’ psychological distress caused by injection. Unfortunately, there is a paucity of data regarding patient-reported outcomes of this procedure. Methods From August of 2017 to June of 2021, the authors retrospectively reviewed all cases who underwent the foreign material removals by suction curettage after injection rhinoplasties. The relevant demographic, treatment characteristics and complication details were collected. The modified Rhinoplasty Outcome Evaluation (ROE) questionnaires were prospectively completed before and 6 months after the surgery. Results Of the 46 patients, four cases developed minor surface irregularities on the nasal dorsum postoperatively; two cases who had recurrent nasal dorsum redness and swelling before the surgery still exhibited the redness with a less degree after the surgery; no patients needed secondary revision. There was a significant improvement in any of patient-reported outcomes at 6-month follow-up, relative to the preoperative baseline scores. Conclusion The injected foreign material in the nose could be effectively removed by suction curettage with minimal complications. The patients’ satisfaction and quality of life, which was severely impaired preoperatively, could be significantly improved after the surgery. Level of Evidence IV Therapeutic study. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .