Are the terms preservation & ultrasonic rhinoplasty just marketing buzzwords?

I perform both dorsal preservation rhinoplasty using ultrasonic instruments and open structure rhinoplasty using standard rhinoplasty tools. As in any technique, the devil is in the details. One is not inherently better than the other. I am very careful in patient selection. Dorsal "preservation" can be as disruptive or more than standard techniques given you fracture the entire nasal complex and remove some of the dorsal supports to bring a hump down. The only thing preserved in some cases is the junction between the upper laterals and the dorsal septum. The key is the surgeon skill at performing rhinoplasty, their experience with any technique they are using, and appropriate patient selection. For example, a surgeon advertising ultrasonic rhinoplasty and dorsal preservation may be doing his 3rd case (given this technique is relatively new to most surgeons). I hope this information helps.

Your surgeon's experience and knowledge are the best tools. Following their recommendations pre- and post-operatively will help you get the best result they can achieve.

Ultrasonic rhinoplasty is a newer way of making incisions in the nasal bones. Some purport that it's more controlled, or precise, but again, your surgeon's experience will give you the safest and most predictable result. If they aren't comfortable with such a device, they shouldn't be using it despite what the ultrasonic companies may have you believe with their marketing materials saying it's the "best" thing for you.

Preservation rhinoplasty (I think this is what you're asking) is probably referring to "dorsal preservation rhinoplasty, which is a technique that aims to lower the nasal dorsum through modifications to the nasal bones and septum below the dorsum and infracture the dorsum downwards rather than the usual technique of removing and smoothing the dorsum.

I hope this helps!

Thank you for your question. I cannot answer much about preservation rhinoplasty since it is not a technique I use.

I have been using ultrasonic tools for rhinoplasty for the last eight years and I can say that they have completely transformed the way I carry out surgery since they offer a number of differences compared to manual instruments and I would never consider going back to manual instruments:
- accuracy of the cuts through the nasal bone, which allow more predictable reconfiguration of the nasal bridge
- options for improvement of the alignment of the nose in high septal deviations without widening the bridge and without risk of CSF rhinorrhoea
- smoother the contours of the nasal bones
- ability to use small grafts of ethmoid bone to strengthen the cartridge framework in key areas
- ability to harvest and use the calcified rib cartilage graft witch is otherwise an almost impossible task
- ability to contour the nasal spine with precision
- ability to do multiple level osteotomies for severe deformities of the nasal bones typically related to major trauma

The concept of preservation rhinoplasty is related predominantly to maintaining the contours of the nasal bridge cartilages when they are producing a good nasal shape. Some of these characteristics can also be achieved through hybrid bridge reduction techniques favoured by ultrasonic instrumentation.