Converse Alar Retractor, 10.2 cm – 10 and 14 mm Openings

This retractor works by opening rather than by blade. The ala is drawn into a ring-shaped opening, which holds the rim from all sides at once instead of pressing on one face of it — so the nostril is held open in its natural round shape rather than being flattened against a flat blade. What the surgeon is assessing during rhinoplasty is precisely that shape, so a retractor that distorts it defeats the purpose of holding it.

Two opening sizes, 10 mm and 14 mm, accommodate the range of nostril dimensions; an opening larger than the rim does not grip, and one smaller stretches it. The perforated handle is the second adjustment: gripping at different holes changes the effective lever length, so the same pull at the hand produces more or less tension at the tissue. At 10.2 cm the whole instrument is small and finger-held, matched to the scale of the anatomy.

Specifications