Retrospective Evaluation of the Use of a Dermal Substitute in Septorhinoplasty

Abstract

At the present time, various methods exist for camouflaging the dorsum of the nose in septorhinoplasty. The subject of this paper is a retrospective descriptive evaluation of the surgical use of the bovine collagen/glycosaminoglycan matrix Integra Dermal Regeneration Template Single Layer Thin (IDRT-SL Thin) developed by Integra LifeSciences in septorhinoplasty procedures. The focus of this work is to evaluate the postoperative tolerability, the safety, and the course of wound healing when IDRT-SL Thin is applied as a collagen sheet in septorhinoplasty. The evaluation was performed using an evaluation form that was developed for this paper. Patients included in the study were followed up for one year postoperatively; however, the postoperative observation period considered in the evaluation was 14 weeks. The analysis of the surgical results shows relatively homogeneous results for the criteria and time period we examined. No notable complications were observed within the patient cohort up to the 14th postoperative week. Despite the limiting factors within the study due to the lack of a control group undergoing other surgical treatment procedures and the small number of patient cases, the observation period of six and 14 weeks applied in this study is suitable to determine the suitability and tolerability in principle. The results presented in this study can therefore be understood as a possible starting point for further investigations on the use of IDRT-SL Thin in septorhinoplasty.