Ultrasonic Rhinoplasty

Some of our rhinoplasty patients in our Houston office have recently been inquiring about ultrasonic rhinoplasty. It's important to first understand what ultrasonic rhinoplasty entails and where it is used.  

Frequently during rhinoplasty, the nasal bones are fractured to narrow the nose, close an open roof after hump reduction, straighten the nose, or create better lines and contour for the nose.  Traditionally, these osteotomies are performed with a fine osteotome and carefully fractured in a controlled manner.  Recently, the use of ultrasonic rhinoplasty to perform these osteotomies has been popularized.

How Ultrasonic Rhinoplasty Works

Ultrasonic rhinoplasty or piezoelectric rhinoplasty utilizes a device to create high speed sound waves which cause vibrations that can fracture and cut bone and cartilage.  The thought process here is that when used, soft tissues are less damaged leading to less bruising and swelling.  

It is important to note that ultrasonic rhinoplasty is simply a tool used to perform the osteotomies.  It does not create better rhinoplasty results or make your surgeon a better rhinoplasty surgeon.  It may simply reduce bruising and swelling in some patients.  

Dr. Funk's Approach to Rhinoplasty

Dr. Funk has performed thousands of rhinoplasties and rarely gets significant bruising in his patients utilizing traditional osteotomy techniques.  However, bruising and edema are inevitable in some patients who bruise easily, have coagulation issues, or are older which leads to capillary fragility.  These patients may be good candidates for ultrasonic rhinoplasty. 

New technology in plastic surgery is important to utilize and embrace when the evidence demonstrates a clear benefit, improved results, or less downtime.  What is most important when pursuing rhinoplasty is to choose your rhinoplasty surgeon based on their experience, results, and your comfort with them during your consultation.