Ultra Diced Cartilage Graft in Rhinoplasty: A Fine Tool.

Area of Science:

• Plastic Surgery
• Rhinoplasty Techniques

Background:

• Traditional diced cartilage grafts (smaller than 0.2 mm) for nasal dorsum smoothening are time-consuming and can cause visibility issues, particularly in thin-skinned patients.
• The free diced cartilage technique, while effective, presents challenges in achieving optimal aesthetic outcomes due to potential visibility problems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and describe the "ultra diced cartilage graft" technique for rhinoplasty.
• To compare the ultra diced cartilage graft with the conventional free diced cartilage graft in terms of efficacy and outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study involving 104 patients receiving the ultra diced cartilage graft and 113 patients receiving the free diced cartilage graft between April 2015 and December 2018.
• Evaluation included operation records, patient questionnaires, palpation tests, and blinded surgeon assessments of pre- and post-operative photographs (1-year follow-up).

Main Results:

• The ultra diced cartilage graft demonstrated superior results compared to the free diced cartilage graft.
• Key advantages observed were improved graft visibility and reduced cartilage resorption.

Conclusions:

• The ultra diced cartilage graft is an effective, reproducible, and cost-efficient technique for rhinoplasty.
• It offers a faster, easier method to achieve a pliable cartilage graft with no dead space, recommended for all plastic surgeons seeking fineness.