A man who was attacked by a dog while on a work trip in the San Francisco Bay Area of California had his nose completely reconstructed after 4 years and 14 surgeries.              Andrew Koplove, a medical engineer from Massachusetts, USA, was left with a flat face with two healed holes and a damaged ear after the animal viciously attacked him in 2017. 

The injuries affected Andrew’s self-esteem, making him feel anxious whenever he stepped outside of his home.

“Before my nose reconstruction, I lost a lot of myself. People would stare or ask me what happened. It was extremely uncomfortable,” the 37-year-old said.

Andrew Koplove shared the story of his nose reconstruction after he was attacked by a dog during a work trip in California

Image credits: Andrew Koplove

“Your face and aspects of your face are your identity, and I lost that.”

Finding the right medical professional to conduct the complex operation took him 18 months.

“Choosing the best doctor really mattered to me. Many renowned surgeons told me that surgeries would result in me being permanently deformed, and I didn’t want to settle with that. I believed there had to be a better option,” he recalled.

Eventually, he found Plastic Surgeon Patrick Byrne through an Internet search.

“I didn’t really have any hope during that time of my life until I met Dr. Byrne,” Andrew said of the chief of the Integrated Surgical Institute and chair of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic in Columbus, Ohio.

“He gave me hope that I would have an excellent result with no lasting noticeable deformities.”

The brutal attack left the medical engineer with a flat face and a damaged ear

Image credits: Andrew Koplove

Image credits: Andrew Koplove

When Dr. Byrne began practicing at Cleveland Clinic in 2020, Andrew moved from Massachusetts to Ohio.

His nose was built almost entirely from scratch using his own tissue: cartilage from his ribcage, cartilage and skin from his ear, and tissue from his forehead for the external skin, the Cleveland Clinic described.

Doctors shared that Andrew’s nose was reconstructed in three layers. The internal layer, which needed to be thin and vascular, used skin from the top right side of his forehead. 

The middle structural layer is composed of cartilage and bone. Lastly, the third external layer also uses skin taken from the forehead.

Skin from this body part is often used because it’s an excellent match in terms of tissue color and characteristics in most patients.

After 4 years and 14 surgeries, Andrew was able to regain his confidence

Image credits: Cleveland Clinic

“There is no such thing as a simple nasal reconstruction — typically, the larger the defect, the more complicated the case,” Dr. Byrne said. 

“A total nasal reconstruction is a difficult plastic surgery endeavor. But, I was confident we could create a new nose for Andrew.”

The 37-year-old sports enthusiast was faced with another unexpected challenge when he suffered postoperative complications due to an infection.

As a result of the infection, which dissolved a large part of Andrew’s subsurface cartilage framework, Dr. Byrne had to perform a further operation.

“I’ve learned over the years to take these early complications very seriously and act quickly whenever possible,” the chief head and neck surgeon recounted.

“Andrew is an inspiration. He managed adversity and handled setbacks all with consistent grace.”

“Ultimately, we had to complete a second forehead flap to achieve an acceptable outcome.”

“He gave me my life back and the confidence to be myself again, go on dates, meet new people, and feel confident in everything I do,” Andrew said of his surgeon

Image credits: Cleveland Clinic

Image credits: Cleveland Clinic

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, nearly 220,000 rhinoplasties are performed yearly in the United States.

Rhinoplasties can change bone, cartilage, skin, or all three. 

The surgery may be carried out to change the appearance of the nose, improve breathing, or both.

By having his nose reconstructed to the way it was before the accident, Andrew was also able to regain his confidence.

“Dr. Byrne and his team can truly make miracles happen. I am so, so grateful for all that they’ve done for me,” Andrew shared.

“He gave me my life back and the confidence to be myself again, go on dates, meet new people, and feel confident in everything I do.”

People reacted to the “absolutely incredible” work

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