Those of you who regularly read my blog, and those of you who know me, know that I am absolutely crazy about rhinoplasty. Rhinoplasty is my passion, and hence, I am always on the lookout for the next greatest thing in that industry.
Several years ago, I started using powered instrumentation to take down large bony bumps in the nose during nose job procedures. Prior to that, I was using manual saws and Osteotomes (chisels) to do the bony work. The powered saw was definitely easier to use, and more precise, but also had other advantages. The speed of the blade decreased the bleeding and bruising after surgery because there was less trauma to the surrounding tissues.
I recently used the example of cutting a piece of wood with a chisel, versus cutting the wood board with a circular saw. The circular saw causes less ripping of the wood edges. Now imagine cutting that same piece of wood with a table saw that oscillates at 60,000+ RPM—it would probably leave the edge of the wood smooth like glass.
This is what we are trying to do in rhinoplasty. Enter: ultrasonic rhinoplasty. I started researching ultrasonic rhinoplasty a few months ago. It is the newest, and latest, and definitely the greatest thing since sliced bread in the realm of rhinoplasty. Ultrasonic rhinoplasty consists of a series of bits that can be attached to a handpiece that oscillates at a very high rate. This allows me to shape and cut the bone with increased precision, with much less trauma to the surrounding tissues.
The holy grail of rhinoplasty goals is to decrease bruising and swelling. The reason for this is multifold. First, patients desire to see their results as quickly as possible after surgery. Second, decreased bruising and swelling translates into decreased recovery time. Patients would therefore be able to return to work faster. Third, from a surgeon perspective, the ultrasonic cutters allow more precise shaping of bone to give more reproducible and exacting results. All in all, this makes for a better product and a better experience.
As far as I know, I am the first person in Houston to use the new ultrasonic technology to rhinoplasty. I am super excited to roll out this technology to Houston, and my patients. I have had the opportunity to use the instrumentation and trial it out, and the results amaze me. Patients with no bruising five days after surgery.
If you want to learn more about ultrasonic rhinoplasty, call me at (281) 973-6041, or contact Athré Facial Plastics today on our website for a consultation!
