Can the Mersilene Mesh Implant Be Safely Removed from My Nose?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I need your consultation. I’m a female and I had three previous rhinoplasties. In the last nose job in 2012, my nose was implanted with double grafts of mersilene mesh on dorsom. I have a lot of side effects because of the mesh implant. The mersilene mesh shows through the skin and makes it red as well as difficulty breathing at night; the mesh is attaching my immune system causing me a lot of diseases osteopenia, high Rheumatoid factor, unable to digest food, pain, cramps, etc. Besides, I hate the look cause it looks bigger with hump and deformities and does not make me breath well while sleeping and I hate everything about the change of my nose and would like to undo everything, remove all those implants. What is the complications and risks of nose mesh removal specifically after 7 years and is it possible to revise the nose at the same time removing the mesh implant? Can you perform such complicated surgery? Please advise 

Looking forward to hear from you.

A: While mersilene mesh allows tissue ingrowth and is harder to remove than some implanted materials, it is not impossible to remove and it can be done so. Because the mersilene mesh removal will result in some soft tissue loss and tissue thinning, it is important to realizer that the tissues over the dorsum will not return to what they were before they were implanted. Thus you should probably consider having a thin allogeneic dermal graft (0.5mm thickness) placed in its replacement to compensate for the thinning of the overlying skin.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana