Cottle Alar and Skin Hook, 14 cm – Sharp and Ball Tip

The two tips answer two different questions about the tissue in front of the surgeon. A sharp prong engages skin and holds it against real tension, which is what a wound edge requires. A ball tip cannot penetrate anything — it retracts by pressing, so it can be placed against the alar rim or the vestibular lining where a sharp point would leave a puncture in skin whose appearance is the entire object of the operation.

In rhinoplasty both situations arise within minutes of each other, which is why they sit on one 14 cm shaft. The 5 × 10 mm ball is elongated rather than round, so it presents a longer bearing surface along the rim and spreads its pressure instead of concentrating it at one point. Reversing the instrument switches between holding firmly and holding gently without introducing a second hook into a small field.

Specifications