Subcutaneous Wire Assisted Scalpel

Aesthetic medicine is largely concerned with correction of perceived physical imperfection and outward signs of aging, especially involving the face. Aging leads to impaired tension and elasticity of the facial skin which becomes slack, develops rhytids (wrinkles), and deep groves through the action of gravity and muscle movement used in facial expressions. As a result the face loses its smooth contour and regular oval shape.

In many patients, well developed facial skin deformities, scars, wrinkles, and folds cannot be effectively treated by mere tissue augmentation via biologic or synthetic materials. Such cosmetic defects often need to be corrected by direct surgical removal of redundant skin (skin excisions or facelift); however, this surgical strategy cannot be universally applied despite its long-standing cosmetic effect because it leaves scars and requires long recuperation time. Laser resurfacing has recently emerged as a new method to treat scars and wrinkles, and to improve the texture of the skin; laser resurfacing, however, requires quite a long healing time and is not effective on deep, fixed folds of the face.

Aesthetic surgery has improved with the development of new operative techniques, surgical instruments and equipment, and synthetic materials for enhancing facial deficits. Surgical treatment of facial rhytids has not been totally effective. Nutec now presents a new technique and instrument using incision less surgery to subcise skin attachments.

The aim of our preliminary experience was to improve the cosmetic outcome of the surgical treatment of patients with facial contour defects of different etiologies by the subcutaneous soft tissue dissection technique. In order to eliminate or smooth wrinkles, folds, and scars a “wire assisted scalpel” was developed. The procedure may be done as a sole intervention or during traditional cosmetic surgeries, with the aim of raising the base of the lesion in order to release it from its attachments to deeper planes.

Before and After Courtesy of Dr. Miles Graivier