Laser reshaping of nose cartilage

Relatively new laser wavelengths and new technology mean that lasers such as the CO2 and Erbium YAG can be used during nose reshaping (rhinoplasty) surgery when operating on the cartilage at the tip of the nose. These lasers will remove/sculpt, in a way that is more accurate and less traumatic than traditional techniques. A simple experiment on cartilage showed that 5 Watts of superpulse CO2 laser power with a 0.015mm spot size gave a clean predictable cut. When used with a Computerised pattern generator and a 2mm spot diameter with a 1 msec dwell time, this gives very nice sculpting and cartilage removal effect. This picture shows one of the initial studies.