Facial Fillers and Surgical Rhinoplasty: Cross-Sectional Study

This study aims to provide an overview of how rhinoplasty surgeons manage patients with previous nonsurgical rhinoplasty and facial fillers. A multicenter international cross-sectional study was conducted in accordance with strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines. A survey was distributed to members of the European Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery and associated colleagues, with responses analyzed from surgeons performing over 10 rhinoplasties annually. A total of 171 surgeons from 45 countries participated, with 165 meeting the inclusion criteria. The respondents included ear, nose, and throat (41%), plastic (7%), maxillo-facial (10%), and facial plastic surgeons (23%), averaging 116 rhinoplasties annually and 13 years of experience. Among the surgeons, 74% perform rhinoplasty on patients with prior nasal fillers, typically waiting 21 weeks after filler rhinoplasty before surgery. Additionally, 44% of surgeons remove nasal fillers preoperatively, primarily using hyaluronidase. During surgery, 76% of surgeons remove nasal fillers, and 25% modify their surgical steps for patients with a history of fillers. This study shows that there is no clear consensus in the management of patients with nasal fillers. Surgeons are often unaware of the preoperative existence of nasal and facial fillers, their potential complications, and their management. To address this, guidelines should be established to facilitate the management of the growing number of patients with facial fillers.