Understanding the Use of Polycaprolactone in East Asian Structural Rhinoplasty: Questions and Answers

Surgery as an art in rhinoplasty involves grafting techniques wherein materials (usually autologous) are taken from the septum and supplemented by conchal cartilage. However, not all noses have adequate cartilage material. The quest for materials as possible replacement for human tissue have led to invention of synthetic (e.g. silicone, e-PTFE, porous polyethelene) and non-synthetic products (e.g. processed homograft and xenograft). In this era of advanced medical science, tissue engineering has started the use polycaprolactone (PCL) as a template and scaffold for tissue growth. Because of this characteristic feature, PCL as a mesh has a significant role in structural rhinoplasty.