Video 3.22: Ultradiced Cartilage – Preparing Up to 1 cc of Graft in Less Than Two Minutes

What this video shows

Video 3.22 shows the preparation of ultradiced cartilage, the technique published by the author in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (2021). Cartilage excised during surgery is transferred between two insulin injectors while a scalpel positioned at the narrowing of the injector tip cuts it; after about seven or eight transfers the cartilage moves as a linear, compact line without dispersing, which is the sign that the paste-like consistency has been reached.

Up to 1 cc of ultradiced cartilage can be prepared in less than two minutes from beginning to end, with no extra cost, which is why the book describes it as the easiest and fastest way to obtain a perfectly pliable graft with no dead space. Indications include surface irregularities and asymmetries and radix or dorsum augmentation.

Key points

• Two insulin injectors and a scalpel; 7–8 transfers give the right consistency.

• Up to 1 cc in under two minutes, at no extra cost.

• Indications: surface irregularities, asymmetries, radix and dorsum augmentation.

For patients: ultradiced cartilage is your own cartilage turned into a smooth paste, used to fill small irregularities so the bridge feels and looks perfectly even.

In the book: Chapter 3 – Dorsum Surgery, section 3.5.1 Ultradiced Cartilage Method – 3.5.1.1 Surgical Technique, pp. 66–67 of Rhinoplasty in Practice: An Algorithmic Approach to Modern Surgical Techniques (CRC Press, 2021). About the book and all companion videos.

Related publication record: Ultra Diced Cartilage Graft in Rhinoplasty: A Fine Tool.

Surgeon: Prof. Dr. Suleyman Tas, plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgeon, Istanbul. This video is part of the surgeon-training material of the book; patients considering rhinoplasty in Istanbul can use it to understand the techniques used at Prof. Dr. Suleyman Tas Clinic.