Piezoelectric Surgery vs. Traditional Rhinoplasty - Should I worry about what instrument is being used for surgery?

I believe that you should focus more on the right surgeon for you and then let that surgeon decide which techniques are to be used. Good results can be obtained with different approaches so try not to get too hung up on them because it becomes very confusing.

Hi @rhinoplastyyy2020! A rhinoplasty in my opinion is one of the most difficult procedures to perform. The skill, artistry, and technique of the surgeon results in a good outcome. In my practice, I utilize piezosurgery. Piezosurgery is a more gentle technique that allows for greater precision. Less bruising and swelling is common with Piezosurgery. In a typical rhinoplasty, a hammer and chisel technique is performed leading to more inadvertent fractures. I hope this was helpful!

Piezoelectric instruments are only used for cutting or ‘sanding’ bones. There is so much more to rhinoplasty than that, and traditional instruments are not necessarily inferior. Most importantly, the surgeon’s experience and skill are more important than anything else.

Ignore the surgical equipment that the doctor uses. If he makes beautiful results, let him use whatever he wants. There are no instruments that make a rhinoplasty better, only more skill.
Remember that rhinoplasty is an exquisitely difficult operation to get right, and you should only have surgery if you are able to make yourself very confident in your surgeon's skills. The changes that a typical rhinoplasty needs require advanced techniques, and skill that most plastic surgeons don't possess with expertise. For most noses, it's much better to not have surgery than to have inexpertly-performed surgery. Read my essay on how to stay out of trouble while selecting a rhinoplasty surgeon. And for those who have had previous surgery, it also discusses how to tell whether your first surgeon should be performing your revision. And it also discusses how to take photos that are best for online evaluations.

Hello and thank you for your question. The technique used, or the specific instruments used during surgery, does not matter as much as your experience with the surgeon during the consultation and their before-and-after photographs. The next step for you is to find the right aesthetic plastic surgeon.  In your rhinoplasty consultation, be sure your surgeon addresses all your aesthetic goals and concerns specifically, and discusses the surgery details including the position and size of the incisions used (with actual photographs and not just digital animations), the risks and benefits of the procedure, recovery time, and post-operative course.  Also, as mentioned, be sure to see plenty of before-and-after pictures in women who have a similar nose appearance to yours, and preferably at different time frames (3 weeks out, 3 months out, etc) to more accurately predict your own surgical outcome.

After seeking out a board-certified plastic surgeon who specializes in aesthetic plastic surgery, I think the most important component of the consultation is to establish a good connection with your plastic surgeon.  It’s the connection that allows you to clearly define your desired nose outcome goals, the first step of this whole process. If you don’t feel you have a good connection with your plastic surgeon after your consultation, he/she may not be the best surgeon for you.

For more information on rhinoplasty, please refer to the link below.

Good luck.

Mark K Markarian, MD, MSPH, FACS
Harvard-trained Board Certified Aesthetic Plastic Surgeon

Choosing the correct rhinoplasty surgeon for you. Yes, pick a very experienced surgeon who does the best noses you like and the most natural!