While attending the recent 2011 Multi-specialty Foundation's Vegas Facial Cosmetic Surgery Symposium there were a few discussion about a relatively new product that is available for complicated rhinoplasty and septoplasty procedures. The PDS plate was recently FDA approved for use in the U.S., but has a longer history of use in Europe where several colleagues have published their experience with its use.

What is the PDS Plate?

The PDS plate is a flexible plate made up of the same material that makes up a suture that I commonly use in rhinoplasty surgery. This PDS suture is a great product because is dissolves after several months at which point cartilage healing and natural bonding occurs and the suture is not needed anymore.

How is the PDS Plate Used?

The PDS plate is not necessary on every case, but in certain surgeries involving complex septum reconstruction and where cartilage grafts are needed but inadequate continuous blocks of cartilage are available. It has been shown that the cartilage fragments sutured in place with the PDS plate are able to grow and fuse thanks to the stability the plate provides.

I had an ideal patient just 2 weeks ago where I was able to use the product successfully. The patient had had a previously severely fractured septum that did not provide me with enough cartilage to make a single length spreader graft to support the buckled septum and to reconstitute a reconstructed caudal septal replacement graft (the septum by the nostrils had to be rebuilt). The plate allowed me to create a much straighter septum and nose that has so far done very well.

Another Tool in the Tool Chest

If there is one thing I've learned doing rhinoplasty and septoplasty surgery over the years is that you need to be prepared to deal with whatever the nose hands you. The more techniques you have at your disposal to treat a given problem the better off my patients will be.