Ultrasonic Rhinoplasty - What is it and do You Need it?

Rhinoplasty is one of the most popular plastic surgery procedures currently performed in the United States. Rhinoplasty, AKA a nose job, is a way for patients to achieve their desired changes to the size, shape or appearance of the nose so it has a more aesthetically appealing appearance. In addition, rhinoplasty can also be performed for functional reasons that enable a person to have a better ability to breathe on a daily basis. While there have been some updates and minor alterations along the way, rhinoplasty has essentially been performed the same way for the past 100 years. Some of the changes have been as simple such as open or closed rhinoplasty as well as hand-held instruments vs. powered instruments. With the rise of social media, many patients are looking for a greater refinement of their features and this includes rhinoplasty to improve the appearance of the nose. Once of the latest rhinoplasty innovations that became popular in the last decade is ultrasonic rhinoplasty.

Ultrasonic Rhinoplasty Explained

Ultrasound has been used in various medical specialties for decades to help doctors detect masses, growths and lesions as well as helping to create pictures of unborn children for new parents to view. Dentists will use ultrasound technology during delicate and precise surgery on dental bones and to clean the teeth as the ultrasonic high speed sound waves work to remove plaque off the teeth as well as portions of the bone of the tooth (if necessary). Ultrasound technology is also used in the medical specialties of fat reduction and body contouring. Ultrasound waves can melt the fat using the sound waves before regular liposuction is performed to remove any excess fat.

One of the latest uses for ultrasound technology is ultrasonic rhinoplasty that allows an experienced and board-certified surgeon to provide patients with alterations to the nose that are more precise and delicate than alterations that are available using traditional rhinoplasty tools. It should be noted that ultrasonic rhinoplasty is not available across the entire country and there are only a few doctors with the necessary ultrasonic rhinoplasty tools in the United States.

The performance of ultrasonic rhinoplasty is a little bit different than the performance of traditional rhinoplasty surgery. The ultrasound wand used during ultrasonic rhinoplasty can be equipped with different tips to more accurately remove the hump on a nose by making more precise cuts to the bone so the underlying mucosa is not damaged. In addition, the ultrasonic wand is able to polish any rough surfaces on the nose in order to create a nasal bridge that is more precisely shaped to achieve the desired results of the patient. In the end, the final results are produced with little bruising and swelling after the ultrasonic rhinoplasty procedure because the nose experiences far less trauma during the surgery.

Ultrasonic rhinoplasty is able to:

• Give the nose a more elegant and smooth transition from the nasal bridge to the nasal tip
• Provide more precise cuts/incisions so the lines that are formed appear to be sculpted
• Prevent bone fractures that occur with regular rhinoplasty equipment so there is less irregularities and deformities with the final results
• Providing less irregularities and deformities also means less complications and less of a need for rhinoplasty revision after the initial surgery (which also leads to increased patient satisfaction)
• Post-op recovery is faster because ultrasonic rhinoplasty does not cause any damage to the soft tissue that surround the cartilages and blood vessels in the targeted area which means less post-op pain along with less bruising and swelling

Ultrasonic Rhinoplasty and Social Media

While ultrasonic rhinoplasty was not invented because of the rise of social media, the number of selfies people take on a daily basis has created an interest in better nasal contouring and a more “selfie ready” appearance to the nose in real life. The fact that the nose has a more elegant appearance makes people eager to feature their nose on social media as the new appearance to the nose is more contoured in appearance.

Ultrasonic Rhinoplasty and Experienced Doctors

As mentioned above, ultrasonic rhinoplasty is not performed all over the country which means patients need to take extra steps to perform the necessary research to find a doctor that is experienced in performing ultrasonic rhinoplasty.

One of the first questions patients should ask during their consultation appointment is to see “before and after” photos of actual patients treated by the doctor. The photos will show the skill employed by the doctor as well as the type of final results that the patient can expect to enjoy. If the doctor does not have “before and after” photos, or is not willing to show the photos to the patient, that should be a warning sign to visit another surgeon that is more open and experienced in performing ultrasonic rhinoplasty.

Once the patient feels comfortable with the surgeon, and has gathered enough information to feel confident about the experience level of the surgeon, the patient can schedule an appointment to undergo ultrasonic rhinoplasty.

MA