Revision Rhinoplasty

Rhinoplasty revision refers to a procedure done on the nose when a patient has had a history of prior nasal surgery. The patient may have had an unsatisfactory results due to healing or other technical issues or personal preferences. They also may have injured their nose and created new problems. It's important to choose a very experienced surgeon who understands the more complex challenges with these cases. At Faces First, our surgeons have decades of experience dealing with revision rhinoplasty.

Primary rhinoplasty refers to a procedure done on a patient's nose for the first time. Revision rhinoplasty refers to procedure done when a patient has a history of prior nasal surgery or rhinoplasty.

Most surgeons would not recommend you consider a revision to your rhinoplasty until you have waited at least one year. There can be exceptions to this depending on the individual problem. It is especially important to wait at least a year or more for a very small or subtle concerns since sometimes these are temporary due to swelling and healing and may correct themselves on their own or with minimal interventions. For some patients it is very tempting to request a revision sooner as the healing process requires much patience. You will have to work closely with your surgeon and have some trust that expert assessments can help guide you through the healing process.

Revision rhinoplasty is a more complex procedure than an initial rhinoplasty, and therefore takes longer to heal. Generally, and the surgeons would say the healing process takes about a year and healing from revision rhinoplasty can take even longer. There is no hard set time To say your healing has ended as this is living tissue that can change for other factors as well over time. Revision rhinoplasty has more scarring and complex changes that require a special attention to detail and patience as you heal to say your healing has ended as this is living tissue that can change for other factors as well over time. Revision rhinoplasty has more scarring and complex changes that require a special attention to detail and patience as you heal.

Since rhinoplasty itself is an extremely popular surgery and done thousands of times every year there inevitably will be many revision rhinoplasty's needed as well. Your individual risk for needing a revision rhinoplasty depends on a multitude of factors including how the surgery is done, how you have healed, and very importantly what your expectations are on the results. So it's very importantTo have a thorough evaluation and consultation to understand your individual issues if needed.

Closed rhinoplasty refers to the surgical approach where incisions are hidden inside the nostrils to perform the operation. Revision rhinoplasty can be done using a closed approach in the right situation and that may depend on the physical characteristics of the nose and the surgeons comfort level with the approach needed. The alternative would be an open approach which can be an extremely good way to get excellent surgical visibility. At Facesfirst, we use both approaches and can discuss the options depending on your individual case in needs.

Not all nose jobs, also called rhinoplasty, are performed the same way. There are different techniques that can be more reliable than others, there can be individual characteristics of the patient that may affect healing, and they are even can be aging changes that occur over time that we don't have complete control over. At Facesfirst in general we employ techniques that are very structural to the nose and have reliable and long lasting results. Like many things in the practice of medicine there are no absolutes, but working with a surgeon who has good experience using the most reliable techniques will give you the best chance at a long lasting satisfying result.

Theoretically a patient who is not careful with following guidelines after surgery could ruin their rhinoplasty. Risky behavior that could traumatize the nose certainly could cause a problem as well. In general, however if the operation was performed well and you follow the postoperative guidelines reasonably then it would be unusual for the results to be compromised.

Rhinoplasty results are designed to be incredibly long-lasting, however, small changes can take place over time. These changes will be subtle, and your nose should not revert to its original shape.

There are going to be some limitations to your activity in the first few weeks after rhinoplasty surgery. The first week is generally rest with limited easy activities. Travel and intense exercise should be avoided for at least two weeks. Contact sports should be avoided for at least six weeks. You also should be careful being out in the sun as the skin is more inflamed and vulnerable to a burn. Sometimes wearing glasses over the nose should be avoided for a few weeks and blowing your nose too aggressively for the first few weeks could irritate the tissues, cause a nosebleed or even twist the nose. A commonsense approach generally will minimize any problems with healing in the fact that the nose is tender will be a good guide to avoiding certain activities.

There are a number of areas that you need to be attentive to to be prepared for a revision rhinoplasty. First, the clear in your expectations with yourself as well as the surgeon. Find out if you have reasonable expectations for the outcome and whether the surgeon can deliver on those expectations. Be comfortable with the certain and their experience and technical skill. Even an excellent surgeon might have complications so be sure it's someone you are comfortable working with if there is a problem. Be well informed and make sure you ask lots of questions. Address any of your other health issues as they could interfere with the healing process. Be sure you will be able to have adequate follow-ups to address any issues during healing. Be sure your personal schedule allows time to appropriately rest for healing. Understand your financial obligations and be prepared there also.

There are many questions you should ask when planning a rhinoplasty with a surgeon and it is important that you develop a comfort level with the procedure and your surgeon to enable your confidence to proceed with the procedure. The initial consultation is when communication begins and you have the opportunity to express to the surgeon just what your expectations are for improvement of your nose. It is important that they are listening to your expectations and you also feel comfortable with how they are responding to that. So you may want to ask the surgeon if they think they can achieve the type of results you desire?Ask the surgeon how they perform the rhinoplasty. Ask about their experience. Ask if they do surgery for breathing and sinuses of the nose as that is an indicator that they understand the nose in a more complete manner. Ask about their training in their credentials. Ask about how the healing process will progress. Ask how long the operation will take and what your recovery will be like. Ask when you may return to many of your usual activities. Ask what type of follow up you will have as you progress through the healing process. Ask what is done if there is a problem with healing. Ask about the cost of the procedure. Ask if you can talk to other patients of the surgeon who have had the same surgery.

In general, it is very important to be patient with the healing process after rhinoplasty. Sometimes a patient is concerned about an issue that will likely resolve as the healing process ensues. It is generally advisable to avoid any significant interventions for at least one year after the surgery. Sometimes small interventions might be considered before that timeframe. Beyond a year a revision can be considered when both the patient and the surgeon feel ready to proceed.

Mental preparedness for a nose job can be in two major categories. First and most importantly is to be sure that your expectations are reasonable and in alignment with what can be achieved in the operation. Unrealistic expectations are the biggest reason patients are unhappy with a rhinoplasty. The other major area that a patient needs to be mentally prepared for is to go through the stress of the operation and the healing process that ensues. Initially, there are some patients who expressed some regret with having had it done because they were not mentally prepared. Most get through this phase after a week or so. In addition it is very important to be prepared to be very patient with the healing process as it does take many months and up to a year or more to see your results.