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J-Plasma:ForOnePatient,LiterallyaBreathofFreshAir
AndyAndersonrecallsbeingnearlyrunofftheroadashewasdrivingdownHighway58inBakersfieldbecausethetwowomeninthecarnudginghimoverdesperatelywantedtogetapictureofhim.The54-year-oldCaliforniatransplantisnotacelebrityoftheHollywoodvariety.Buthisnosehadgainedacertainnotoriety:itwas,asAndyfreelyadmits,biggerthanJimmyDurante’sspectacularschnoz.
Sothefactthatthesetwowomenwantedtosnapaphotoastheyspedpasthimdidn’tfazeAndy.Theywerehardlythefirsttocuthimoffwhilegawkinganddriving.
“MynosewoulddrinkmycoffeebeforeIwould,”saysAndywithalaugh.“Mynosegoteverythingbeforetherestofmedid.”
Hewouldsometimesgood-naturedlytormenthiskidsbyturninghisheadfromsidetoside,theskinofhisnosefloppingcrazilyashedid.“Betyoucan’tdothat,”hewouldtease.
ButdespiteAndy’sgoodhumor,Andyhadaseriouscaseofrhinophyma.Theseverityofitwasnolaughingmatter.Infact,itwasverymuchabreathingmatter.
“IwouldwakeupoutofadeadsleepbecauseIcouldn’tbreathe,”Andysays.“Itpanickedme.”
Uncontrolledgrowth
Rhinophymaisarelativelyrareskindisorderthatresultsinanenlarged,bumpy,rednose.Severerosaceacanleadtoit.Menaremorepronetoitthanwomen.
Andysayshisnosewasalwaysalittle“goofy,”havinggottenbrokenseveraltimesduringhisstintinthemilitary.Butoverthepastfouryears,ithadgrownlarger,andlarger,andlargerstill.Duringthelastyearandahalf,itgrewsolargethatitclosedhisnostrils.
“Ididn’tknowwhatwashappening,”Andysays.
Age,saidthedoctorswhenhewentforhisphysical.
It’spartoflife,theyshrugged.Somepeople’snosesgrowastheygetolder.Justlivewithit.
J-Plasma® | Bovie Medical Corporation
Remediationanddesperation
Andyworksonenvironmentalremediationprojectsatwatertreatmentplantsandotherfacilities—demanding,physicallaborthatputshimoutdoorsmostofthetime.
“Iwouldbetryingtopullpumpsoutoftheground,andtheexertionworemeout,”hesays.“Icouldn’tgetoxygen.”
Itwasgettingtothepointwhereheliterallycouldn’tliveanormallifewithsuchanenlargednose.
Stickastrawupmynostrils,heimploredonephysicianhesaw.Anythingtobeabletogetabreath.
ButtheENTsurgeonsAndysawfelthisskindisorderwassosevere,thattherewasnothingtheycoulddoforhim.
SoAndydidsomething:hecontactedDr.AliTehrani,whosepracticesarenearwhereAndylivesinAppleValley.
J-Plasma:surgicalprecisiongetsevenmoreprecise
WhenAliTehrani,M.D.,firstsawAndyashispatient,hewas,hesays,“surprised.”Aboard-certifiedPlasticandReconstructiveSurgeonwhoisalsolicensedinGeneralSurgery,Dr.TehraniisthefounderofHighDesertPlasticSurgeryandMontagePlasticSurgery,bothinsouthernCalifornia.
AlthoughitisnotcommonforDr.Tehranitoseerhinophymapatientsinhispractice,hehadtreatedahandfulofthemandwasfamiliarwiththecondition.WhenhesawAndy,“Iwassurprisedattheseverityofhiscondition,andalsothathewasn’tgivensurgicaloptionsbytheENTshe’dseen.”AsfarasDr.Tehraniwasconcerned,Andy’scondition,extremethoughitwas,“wasfixable.”
Surgically,itmeantusinganumberofdifferentmodalities—scalpel,Mayoscissors,aspinningburr.Andonemore:theJ-Plasma,theBovieMedicalCorporation’snewhelium-basedgasplasmasurgicaldevice.Itfeaturesanincrementalbladeextensionand,mostcritically,anadjustableflowofheliumwhosemicronlevelofcontrolgivesasharpnewedgetotheconceptofsurgicalprecision.
Dr.TehranihadusedtheJ-PlasmainsomewoundsurgeriespriortoAndy’soperation.Heknewthatthedevice’slowthermalspreadwouldreduceanypotentialnegativeimpactonthesurroundingtissue.
“Ifeltthatusingitwouldhavebothhemostaticandantibacterialbenefitsforthepatient,”hesays.Itwouldminimizebleedingduringsurgery.
DuringAndy’ssurgery,onceDr.Tehranicutthroughthedensesttissue,thingsgotsmoother—literally.UsingtheJ-Plasmaallowedforhealthytissuetobeblendedalmostseamlesslyintotheexcisedarea.
“TheJ-Plasmaeliminatedanyabrupttransitionwherethetissueintheresurfacingwouldnotbeassmooth,”hesays.
J-Plasma® | Bovie Medical Corporation
Painlesspost-op Andycameoutoftheprocedurefeeling,ashedescribesit,“greatrightaway.”That,andravenous.“Iwenthomeandgotahamburger,”hesays.Andnoticedsomethingwhenhetookthefirstbite:ittasteddifferent.Beingabletobreathethroughhisnoseaffectedhistastebuds.SomehowAndyhadalwayshadagoodsenseofsmell,butnowthiswasevenkeenerthanbefore.Hisnose,meanwhile,hadshrunk,andsignificantlyso.Andyfounditeasyandpainlesstochangethedressingshimselfasithealed—theJ-Plasmaatwork.Nowhebreathesinmoreoxygen.Hehasmoreenergy.Hesleepsbetter.There’sjustonethingthatAndymisses.“Mycelebritystatushasleftme,”hesaysjokingly.“ItoldDr.Tehranithathefixedmynosesowell,nobodypaysanyattentiontomeanymore.”Andthat,forAndyAnderson,islikeabreathoffreshair.
J-Plasma:onedevice,multipleapplications
Thehelium-basedgasplasmasurgicaltechnologythatpowersJ-Plasmatakesmuchoftheheatoutofsurgery.
WhileJ-Plasmaturnsdowntheheat,itupstheprecisiontomicronlevel.Itsafelyremovestissuecellslayerbylayer,allowingsurgeonstoablatetheaffectedtissueby“painting,”atechniquethatsparesthehealthytissuethatliesbeneath.
Dr.AliTehrani’suseoftheJ-PlasmainhisPlasticandReconstructiveSurgerypracticeisjustoneofmanysurgicaltheaterswhereJ-Plasmacanplayastarringrole.
Colorectal,GI,ENTandlaparoscopicsurgeriesareallcandidatesforJ-Plasma,asareGYNandurologyprocedures.
“Iwascomfortableusingit,”saysDr.Tehrani,referringtothesurgeryheperformedonapatientwithsevererhinophyma[SEEMAINSTORY],“andhaveuseditsincethen.ThemoreyouusetheJ-Plasma,thefasteryoubecomeathandlingit.”
J-Plasma® | Bovie Medical Corporation
BEFORE:AndyAnderson’srhinophymawassoextreme,hislackofoxygenintakewouldroutinelystartlehimawakeatnight.
AFTER:Just10weeksafterDr.TehraniperformedsurgeryusingtheJ-Plasma,Andy’snosehadsignificantlyshrunk—andhisbreathingcapacityhadmarkedlyincreased.
J-Plasma® | Bovie Medical Corporation
