Polydioxanone (PDS) foil is widely recognized as a septal cartilage replacement during
rhinoplasties and is thought to be completely resorbable and biodegradable. Since
its United States Food and Drug Administration approval in 2010, PDS foil has drawn
significant enthusiasm and many surgeons consider it an ideal implantable biomaterial
as reflected in numerous studies highlighting its benefits. However, scant literature
exists highlighting relevant complications of PDS plates that may potentially lead
to cavalier overuse. This descriptive case series assesses the outcomes of PDS foil
usage in three patients seen for septoplasty at two independent institutions over
the past 5 years. Our results demonstrate that PDS plate usage can lead to septal
cartilage loss and resultant saddle nose deformıty associated with prolonged postoperative
edema and inflammation. To our knowledge, this is the largest case series of this
reported phenomenon.
Keywords
rhinoplasty - septoplasty - polydioxanone - biomaterials - nasal surgery
