Aufricht Walter Nasal Retractor, Double Ended, 38 and 42 mm

What the aufricht walter nasal retractor is

The aufricht walter nasal retractor is a double ended version of the standard Aufricht pattern. It lifts the nasal skin envelope off the framework underneath so the dorsum can be seen rather than felt for, and it carries a working blade at each end instead of one.

Two ends is the whole argument for the pattern. Exposure in an open approach is not one job: the lift at the start is gentle and the hold later, once the envelope is up and the rasp is working, is firmer. A single ended retractor means swapping instruments at that point, and a nose is not a field with room for instruments coming in and out.

Our own record carries two blade sizes and two tip options, and those four figures are the only ones stated on this page.

Key design features of the aufricht walter retractor

Four features, and the first is the one the name refers to.

• Double ended. A blade at each end, so one instrument covers the gentle lift and the firmer hold.
• Two blade sizes. 38 mm x 7 mm and 42 mm x 7 mm on our own record.
• Blunt or sharp prong tips. Chosen by whether the tissue is being lifted or held.
• Flat handle. Tells the hand which end is which without looking down.

Aufricht walter nasal retractor sizes

Two blade sizes ship from this page, and both figures are on our own product record.

No overall length is stated here. Our record does not carry one, and a figure the workshop cannot stand behind does not belong on a product page. Competitor listings quote a length of their own and none of them is repeated. Ask and it will be measured.

Where a double ended nasal retractor is used

A double ended nasal retractor earns its place wherever the exposure changes character partway through.

Blunt prong nasal retractor or sharp, and what each end holds

The question buyers ask about a blunt prong nasal retractor is when the sharp option would be better, and the answer turns on one thing: whether the tissue under the tip is skin or mucosa. Blunt for anything with mucosa behind it, because a point pressed into a mucosal flap goes through it. Sharp where a skin edge has to be held under tension and a blunt tip would slide off it. Sets that do both kinds of work carry both.

How this pattern compares with the rest of the family

Four of the rows below are our own nasal instruments. This pattern sits at the broad exposure end of that run and it is the only one of them with two working ends.

Materials and finish

Made from high quality medical grade stainless steel, satin finished so the operating light does not reflect off the blade into the surgeon eye in a field this small. The steel itself is made to a German specification. Blade edges are rolled rather than left square, because the whole point of this instrument is that it holds tissue without marking it.

Care and sterilization

Clean with a soft brush under running water, working both ends and both junctions of blade and handle where tissue collects, then rinse in deionized water and dry fully before autoclaving. Store so that neither end is resting under weight. A double ended instrument is twice as easy to damage as a single ended one, because whichever end is down is the end taking the load, so check both against a flat surface before it goes back into the set.

Ordering an aufricht walter nasal retractor and wholesale

Adas Instruments makes this pattern to order in both blade sizes and both tip options. Buyers who search for the aufricht walter nasal retractor by that name will find it here under the same pattern. We supply hospitals, surgical centers and distributors across the United States, Latin America, Europe and Asia, bulk and wholesale pricing is available, and instruments held on backorder ship in 10 to 12 working days. Every instrument carries a three year replacement warranty against manufacturing defects. Certifications: CE. Production is controlled under an ISO 13485 quality management system.

Frequently asked questions

What is an aufricht walter nasal retractor used for?

Lifting the nasal skin envelope off the framework in an open rhinoplasty and holding it there while the dorsum, the cartilages or the septum are worked on. The double ended form means one instrument covers both the gentle lift at the start and the firmer hold later, which keeps a second instrument out of the nostril.

What is a double ended retractor?

An instrument with a working end at each end of the handle, used by turning it over rather than by putting it down and picking up another. In a nasal set it saves an instrument change at the moment the exposure changes, and in a field a few millimeters across that is worth more than it sounds.

How does the Walter pattern differ from the standard Aufricht?

The standard Aufricht has one blade. The Walter has two, one at each end, and our own record gives them as 38 mm x 7 mm and 42 mm x 7 mm. The job is the same on both, and the choice is whether you want the instrument change or not.

Which blade size should I order?

42 mm x 7 mm for a wider dorsum and for holding more of the envelope at once, 38 mm x 7 mm where the field is narrower. Both figures are from our own product record rather than from a catalog somewhere else.

Is the sharp prong version safe against mucosa?

No, and it is not meant to be. The sharp option is for a skin edge under tension. Anything with mucosa behind it takes the blunt option, because a point pressed into a mucosal flap goes through it rather than holding it.

Related products and categories

Buyers who order the aufricht walter nasal retractor usually order alongside it the cottle nasal retractor hook, the cottle retractor with sharp prongs and the kilner alae retractor. The whole family sits in hooks and retractors, and this pattern is also listed under rhinoplasty instruments.