Will I have a scar on my chest?

We make an incision of about 3 cm along the crease under your chest. The scar fades over about 6–12 months, though how much it fades varies from person to person.

Can you treat a contracted nose?

A contracted nose is relatively difficult to treat, but we do perform surgery that rebuilds its length and height with rib cartilage. If there is inflammation, we treat it first and operate afterward.

Ear or septal cartilage was used in my previous surgery. Can I still have this surgery?

Yes. Rib cartilage is used when ear or septal cartilage has already been used and none is left. There is plenty of rib cartilage, so enough can be harvested for what you need.

Is it done under sedation or general anesthesia?

Rib cartilage rhinoplasty is done under sedation or general anesthesia. We explain which one suits your surgery at your consultation. No hospital stay is needed.

How long should I stay in Korea?

Stitches come out 4–10 days after surgery, and you can fly home once they are out. The day depends on the technique and your nose, so we plan your schedule together at your consultation.

How much does rib cartilage rhinoplasty cost?

It varies widely with the extent of surgery, the materials used and whether you have had surgery before. Send three photos of your face — front, side and 45° — on WhatsApp (+82 10-9608-0042), along with your surgical history. We will give you an estimate, and we can also go over it in an online consultation.

KOKO Plastic Surgery · Rhinoplasty

Rhinoplasty with Rib Cartilage

Height and length built from your own rib cartilage

Rib cartilage rhinoplasty uses cartilage from your own ribs to raise or lengthen your nose. It is also used to treat a contracted nose, where the nose has shrunk after a previous surgery.

Rib cartilage can be harvested in ample amounts and gives strong support. At KOKO Plastic Surgery, we draw on long experience and skill to shape it carefully to fit your nose.

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BEFORE AFTER

Rhinoplasty with your own rib cartilageSide · Photographed at our clinic

Surgery time: 2–3 hours
Anesthesia: Sedation or general anesthesia
Hospital stay: Not needed
Stitch removal: After 4–10 days
Recovery: About 7 days

Who it is for

You are worried about implant side effects, or would rather not have an implant
You want your nose shaped with your own tissue
Your nose has shrunk and hardened after rhinoplasty (a contracted nose)
Your tip turns up so your nostrils show from the front (an upturned nose)
You do not have enough septal cartilage for tip surgery

What is rib cartilage rhinoplasty?

Each rib is made of bone and cartilage. The cartilage part is called rib cartilage. Rib cartilage rhinoplasty uses it as the material for your nose.

Rib cartilage is more plentiful than other cartilage, so enough can be harvested to match the height and length you want.

It is also used when a revision is needed, or when ear or septal cartilage has already been used and none is left.

What is a contracted nose?

In a contracted nose, scar tissue forms inside the nose, hardens and shrinks. The tip may turn up or the nose may get shorter, or the implant may be squeezed and the nose distorted.

It happens when inflammation after nose surgery is left untreated early on, or after repeated nose surgeries. It is one of the more serious complications of rhinoplasty, and relatively difficult to treat.

We use rib cartilage for noses that became inflamed after several surgeries, were shortened by contracture, or have a collapsed tip. Because enough of it can be harvested, we can rebuild the length and height of the nose.

What rib cartilage offers

As a material for the nose, rib cartilage has these qualities:

There is plenty of it, so enough can be harvested for what your nose needs
It is your own tissue, so it feels less foreign and is less prone to inflammation
It is not easily absorbed by the body and gives strong support, which makes a well-projected tip easier to create
It is firm, which helps your nose hold its shape over time
It is versatile enough to be used in reconstructive surgery as well

How the surgery is done

We make an incision of about 3 cm along the crease under your chest. We then harvest cartilage from the 6th or 7th rib, sized to suit your nose.

The shape of your chest rarely changes where the cartilage was taken. The incision scar fades over about 6–12 months.

We carefully design the harvested cartilage to fit the shape of your nose before using it.

Even within rhinoplasty, surgery with rib cartilage calls for fine technique and know-how. We recommend consulting an experienced specialist.

How much the scar fades and how you recover vary from person to person.

Risks and side effects

Results and recovery vary from person to person. The main risks and side effects are:

Swelling and bruising after surgery
Infection or inflammation
Asymmetry, or a result that differs from what you pictured
An implant shifting, showing through or becoming exposed (when an implant is used)
Pain or a scar where rib cartilage was taken (when rib cartilage is used)
Contracture (tissue hardens and the nose shrinks)

If anything concerns you, you can still reach us on WhatsApp after you fly home.

When rib cartilage is used

A shrunken or collapsed nose, rebuilt with rib cartilage

These are typical problems after a previous surgery where we use rib cartilage. In the diagrams, the pink line marks the problem area and the dotted gray line shows the target line.

Rib cartilage in revision surgery

When contracture has shortened the nose

Tissue inside the nose has hardened and shrunk, turning the tip up or shortening the nose.
We rebuild the length and height of the nose with rib cartilage, which can be harvested in ample amounts.
Revision Rhinoplasty
When inflammation has developed

If your nose has become inflamed after several surgeries, we first treat the inflammation. We then remove the implant.
We rebuild the nose with rib cartilage in place of the implant. Because it comes from your own body, rejection is less likely.
When the tip has collapsed

If your previous surgery did not build enough support for the tip, the tip gradually collapses over time.
We rebuild the tip with rib cartilage, which gives strong support.
Nose Tip Surgery

WHY KOKO

Why patients choose KOKO for Rhinoplasty with Rib Cartilage

01
Long experience with the nose

KOKO Plastic Surgery opened in 2001 as the first clinic in Apgujeong specializing in nose surgery. We have performed nose surgery for 25 years, and that experience guides our rib cartilage work, which calls for fine technique.
02
Designed for your nose

We carefully design the harvested rib cartilage for each nose, aiming for a natural, attractive shape.
03
Built to hold its shape

Rib cartilage is firm and helps the nose keep its shape over time. We use that support to build your nose.
04
Dr. Cho, from consultation to surgery

Dr. Cho Bae-jung, our representative director and a board-certified plastic surgeon, handles your consultation and performs your surgery himself.

Cases