Cottle Nasal Retractor Hook, One Blunt Ball End, 8 and 10 mm

What the cottle nasal retractor hook is

The cottle nasal retractor hook holds nasal soft tissue back during rhinoplasty and septoplasty on a single blunt ball end. It is named after Maurice Cottle, whose work shaped modern nasal surgery, and our own record carries it in two tip widths, 8 mm and 10 mm.

The ball is the instrument. A point holds tissue by going into it, and a ball holds tissue by pressing against it, which is the difference between an instrument you can rest on a mucosal flap for a whole step and one you cannot.

So this is the hook for tissue that must be held rather than pierced. Where a flap is under real tension and needs anchoring, a sharp pattern is the right instrument and this one is not.

Key design features of the cottle nasal hook

Four features, and three of them follow from the shape of the tip.

• One blunt ball end. Nothing on the working tip is sharp, so nothing is punctured.
• Two tip widths. 8 mm and 10 mm on our own record.
• Slim shank. Cut for an opening measured in millimeters.
• Flat handle. Sits along the finger and stops the tip rolling under load.

Cottle nasal retractor hook sizes

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

No overall length is stated here, because our record does not carry one. Competitor listings quote figures of their own and none is repeated on this page. Ask and it will be measured.

Where a nasal retractor hook is used

A nasal retractor hook turns up wherever soft tissue has to be held back through a small opening.

What the blunt ball end retractor holds, and what it does not

A blunt ball end retractor is defined as much by what it refuses to do as by what it does, so both are set out here rather than left to be discovered on a patient.

How the cottle ball end retractor compares with the others

Four of the rows below are our own. The cottle ball end retractor is the gentlest of them, and that is exactly why it is not the right choice for a flap under load.

Materials and finish

Made from high quality medical grade stainless steel, satin finished so the operating light does not bounce off the tip into the surgeon eye. The steel itself is made to a German specification. The ball is polished rather than left as formed, because a ball with a machining mark on it is a point again.

Care and sterilization

Clean with a soft brush under running water, working the ball and the junction of tip and shank where tissue collects, then rinse in deionized water and dry fully before autoclaving. Store so nothing rests across the tip. The ball is the whole instrument, so a ball that has been flattened or nicked by a knock no longer does the job it was bought for: check it against the light before it goes back into the set.

Ordering and wholesale

Adas Instruments makes this pattern to order in both tip widths and supplies 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 a nasal hook used for?

Holding soft tissue back so the surgeon can see and work behind it. In a nasal set the hooks divide by tip: blunt ball ends such as this one for tissue that must not be punctured, and sharp prongs for a skin edge that has to be anchored under tension.

What is the difference between a blunt and a sharp nasal hook?

What happens when you pull. A sharp prong goes into the tissue and holds it however hard you pull, which is what a skin flap under tension needs. A blunt ball presses against the tissue and will slide off before it tears anything, which is what mucosa needs. Neither is better; they are for different tissue.

Which tip width should I order?

10 mm where more tissue has to be held at once, 8 mm in a smaller nostril or a tighter pocket. Both figures come from our own product record rather than from a catalog somewhere else.

Can it be used on the alar rim?

Yes, and that is one of the places it is most useful, because the rim is skin over cartilage and a ball end holds it without leaving a mark. For a rim that has to be pulled hard, a sharp pronged pattern anchors better.

Is this the same as a Cottle alar retractor?

No. The alar pattern is a contoured blade that lies along the nostril curve. This is a hook with a single ball end. They are used at different moments and most nasal sets carry both.

Related products and categories

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