New Technique Allows Plastic Surgeons to Build a Better Bridge and

Helps in Complex Reconstructions

Dr. Jay Calvert has developed a nasal-bridge operation that is being called the greatest advance in rhinoplasty surgery in the past 30 years. This technique treats problems with the bridge that have been difficult, if not impossible, to treat until now.

The Diced-Cartilage and Fascia Graft, known as the “DCF Nose Graft,” allows the surgeon to correct deformities, reduce surgical complications and fine-tune the results of their work as the body heals. While initial findings were originally published by Dr. Calvert in a peer-reviewed publication in 2004, he has subsequently refined the procedure allowing for optimum results.

Until this revolutionary grafting technique had been perfected, surgeons were hard-pressed to build out areas lacking substance, and had to wait until the post-operative swelling had subsided to find out if the surgery was a success (or would have to be re-done). The DCF Nose Graft allows the doctor to delicately mold the nose for several weeks after the operation.

Ideal for forming or restoring the bridge of the nose, the procedure could have been used, for example, to repair Michael Jackson’s compromised proboscis. “This technique could’ve been a key part of an operation to repair Michael Jackson's nose,” Dr. Calvert said, “since it allows the bridge to be re-contoured by adding new tissue to it, and the final shape to be controlled by molding it post-operatively.”

Plus, by using the patient’s own cartilage and tissue (from the rib) to form the graft, the chance of complications or rejection is significantly reduced. The new technique can be used in a wide variety of cases but is particularly useful in the correction of opposites - both overly scooped or “saddle” noses, as well as “aquiline” or “Roman” noses.
Previous attempts by others to develop similar procedures have failed, but after more than seven years of clinical research, Dr. Calvert has become an internationally recognized expert in this type of reconstructive nasal surgery.

At the 2008 American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) meeting in San Diego, the DC Nose Graft technique was recognized as “the most effective way to create a better bridge." This grafting method has not only revolutionized rhinoplasty, it lays the foundation for future advances in reconstruction and has inspired a new generation of rhinoplasty surgeons.

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, nose reshaping is the second most common plastic surgery procedure for women in the U.S. after breast augmentation; and the most popular among men. Dr. Calvert treats approximately 125 patients a year using the DC Nose Graft technique and performs about 200 rhinoplasty operations a year.

A plastic and general surgeon, Dr. Calvert’s research work in tissue engineering and bone regeneration elevated his reputation as an expert in nasal reconstruction and rhinoplasty revisions. Internationally sought after as a lecturer, he regularly shares his findings at surgical conferences, in peer-reviewed articles and by mentoring medical students, residents and surgeons in fellowship training. He is co-founder, along with Drs. Kami Parsa and Dr. Drew Ordon, of the non-profit Surgical Friends Foundation through which the three collaborate on extremely challenging and life-threatening reconstructive cases. He appears frequently on the Tyra Banks Show as a medical-esthetics expert and writes a blog about plastic surgery issues on his website, www.drcalvert.com.

An active staff member at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, Hoag Memorial Hospital in Newport Beach and Long Beach Veterans Administration in Long Beach, Dr. Calvert earned his medical degree from Cornell University Medical College in New York City and a Bachelor of Arts’ degree in molecular biology from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn. He completed the rigorous seven-year combined Plastic Surgery Training Program at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, one of the most highly regarded programs of its kind. He is an active member of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the Rhinoplasty Society, and is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons.