Expanded polytetrafluoroethylene as dorsal augmentation material in rhinoplasty on Southeast Asian noses: three-year experience

Yap EC, Abubakar SS, Olveda MB.

What this paper says

In 1,054 Filipino patients whose nasal bridge was raised with an ePTFE implant, 97.72% had a desirable outcome; implant shift (1.04%), a visible implant (0.47%) and infection (0.38%) were the main problems.

Overview

Many Southeast Asian patients seek a higher nasal bridge, and a synthetic implant avoids harvesting the patient's own cartilage. Expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE, also sold as Gore-Tex) is one such material. The authors reviewed three years of dorsal augmentation with ePTFE in a Philippine practice.

Sections of note

Retrospective review of 1,054 patients; 90.61% women, 9.39% men.
1,008 (95.64%) primary rhinoplasty; 46 (4.36%) secondary or revision.
1,030 (97.72%) desirable outcomes; 24 (2.28%) undesirable.
Undesirable outcomes: implant deviation 1.04%, visible implant 0.47%, infection 0.38%, dissatisfaction from a bridge that was too high 0.38%.
The abstract does not state the follow-up period per patient or how outcomes were judged.

What it means for a patient

In this large series, about 1 in 44 patients had a problem with the implant, most often that it shifted off center.
Infection, the main fear with synthetic implants, occurred in fewer than 1 in 250 patients here.
Results come from one practice with self-assessed outcomes and no comparison to cartilage grafts; longer follow-up may show more late problems.

Why this paper matters

It is one of the largest ePTFE augmentation series published and supports the material's use in Asian rhinoplasty, where synthetic implants remain common. The authors themselves caution that careful use is needed. Long-term infection and extrusion rates beyond three years are not covered.

Terms

Dorsal augmentation: raising the height of the nasal bridge.
Expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE): a porous synthetic polymer used as a soft implant; tissue grows into its pores.
Implant deviation: the implant shifting to one side of the bridge.
Extrusion: an implant working its way out through skin or lining.
Revision rhinoplasty: a repeat operation on a nose that has already had surgery.
Retrospective review: a study that looks back at records of patients already treated.

Summary written by rhinoplasty.cc from the abstract, 2026-09-08; not medical advice. The authors' own abstract follows.

From the abstract

“To describe the outcomes of dorsal augmentation rhinoplasty with expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) implants in Southeast Asian patients from the Philippines. Methods: Retrospective review of 1054 patients. Results: Of the 1054 patients, 90.61% were women and 9.39% were men. One thousand eight patients (95.64%)…”

Excerpt; the full abstract is on PubMed.