Objective To investigate the effect of autologous ear cartilage combined with expanded polytetrafluoroethylene in rhinoplasty. Methods A total of 50 patients who underwent rhinoplasty in Shijiazhuang Tianhong Medical Cosmetic Hospital from May 2022 to January 2024 were selected as the research objects. According to the different rhinoplasty materials used, they were divided into control group (n =29) and observation group (n =21). The control group was treated with silicone prosthesis for rhinoplasty, and the observation group was treated with autologous ear cartilage combined with expanded polytetrafluoroethylene for rhinoplasty. The improvement of nasal morphology, satisfaction and complications were compared between the two groups. Results After treatment, the nasal length, nasal tip height and nasolabial angle in the observation group were better than those in the control group (P <0.05). The satisfaction rate of the observation group was 95.24%, which was higher than 79.31% of the control group (P <0.05). The incidence of complications in the observation group was 9.52%, which was lower than 27.59% in the control group (P <0.05). Conclusion Autologous auricular cartilage and expanded polytetrafluoroethylene are effective in rhinoplasty. Compared with traditional silicone prosthesis, the effect of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene for nasal shape improvement is more ideal, the patient satisfaction is higher, the incidence of postoperative complications is smaller, which is worthy of clinical application.