What is Piezzo in nasal aesthetics surgeries?
What is Piezzo and how is it applied in rhinoplasty?
In surgery, the process by which the bone is cut through conversion of the power obtained from concentrated sound waves (ultrasound) into energy is briefly called as Piezzo surgery. This technique, which has been used to cut and shape bones in surgery for years, especially neurosurgery, plastic and jaw surgery, has recently gained popularity in nasal bone shaping for aesthetic purposes.
As an ultrasonic bone forming process, Piezzo is preferred by surgeons because this strong energy of intensified sound waves is atraumatic, that is to say, it gives less damage to the surrounding tissues while cutting the bone. With this approach, more sharp and delicate contouring is provided to the nasal bones. It is also expected that edema and bruises commonly observed in the postoperative period will be less frequent and early recovery is possible.
Rhinoplasty, i.e. aesthetic nose operations is not limited to nasal bone shaping. After a detailed examination, meeting both functional and aesthetic expectations requires skill and experience to give form to many cartilage and soft tissues as well as bone structures based on the integrity of plastic surgery. While many surgeons use hand chisels for forming the bone in rhinoplasty surgeries, many surgeons successfully use rasps of different dimensions.
It is true that the Piezzo surgery is very helpful for the new surgeons, yet it is wrong to present this technique as the invention of the century, which allows for better nasal shaping and better rhinoplasty results. At the end, any surgery that is well planned, atraumatic and meticulous becomes successful. The surgeon who is working with the Piezzo technique is not the one who is carrying the state-of-the art technology into the operating room, but rather he prefers this device because he believes that its use is in his own and his patient’s benefit.
Since the technique has a learning curve, it will take some time to obtain the results expected from this device, that is less edema and bruising and swift recovery. In conclusion, though intelligent devices are not sufficient for successful results, successful surgeons are masters of choosing the closest devices to them, which can be most useful for their purposes. In this respect, Piezzo is just one of the options that can be chosen.
In summary, Piezzo surgery is an ultrasonic bone cutting device used in aesthetic nose operations. It is not new but popularized by some surgeons and brought back to the agenda of media magazine. Its potential to influence the outcome in rhinoplasty is not more prominent than the surgeon’s competence and experience.
