Revision Rhinoplasty: Here’s What You Need to Consider
Rhinoplasty is a cosmetic plastic surgery that seeks to change the function and the appearance of your nose. A recent report by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons indicates that nearly 220,000 rhinoplasties are performed every year in the country.
The human nose is a complex structure placed in the middle of the face. It packs an abundance of blood vessels, nerves, cartilage, and tissue into a small area. Owing to the size and the complexity of the nose, plastic surgeons have limited options to work their miracles. Rhinoplasty has a success rate of about 85 to 90 percent, which means there’s a chance of getting unintended results.
What is Revision Rhinoplasty?
Sometimes, a flaw in the healing process after rhinoplasty surgery or failure on the plastic surgeon’s end can leave you with results that you aren’t satisfactory. Depending on what you wanted to achieve with the rhinoplasty surgery, you can benefit from revision rhinoplasty. Revision rhinoplasty is not just about undoing the work of another surgeon. In many cases, the procedure is more complicated than the primary rhinoplasty because it may involve correcting extensive scar tissue and other flaws identified during the healing process.
When Do You Need Revision Rhinoplasty?
While plastic surgeons are responsible for the technical steps, they may not be in a position to control the healing process. Also, an uncertified and inexperienced plastic surgeon can create results that are not in line with the patient’s goals. Potential reasons for considering revision rhinoplasty can include:
- Correcting asymmetries created during the primary rhinoplasty.
- Correcting scarring due to improper healing.
- To correct obstruction, causing breathing difficulties.
- To remove extra cartilage.
- To correct where too much bone or cartilage was removed.
How Does Revision Rhinoplasty Look like when Compared to Normal Rhinoplasty Surgery?
Depending on the results of your previous nose job, revision rhinoplasty may be extremely complicated. Most often, revision rhinoplasty requires cartilage for supporting the tip or the bridge of the nose. Septal cartilage is deficient, your plastic surgeon may need to graft cartilage from other body parts such as the ear and the ribs. If you have scarring on the nose, the surgeon may need to use skin grafts to correct the distorted nasal airway.
Considering the complexity of revision rhinoplasty, it vital to know that no ethical plastic surgeon can guarantee an excellent outcome. If you are considering having this surgery, make sure to schedule an appointment with a board-certified and experienced plastic surgeon.
Recovery Process
The recovery process of revision rhinoplasty is almost similar to that of primary rhinoplasty surgery. You may experience some degree of swelling that takes longer to resolve than for primary rhinoplasty. After the surgery, you may also experience temporary numbness at the tip of the nose and bruising that resolves within ten days. Revision rhinoplasty results will improve over several months, and you can expect final results after 12-18 months.
Revision rhinoplasty is a highly complex plastic surgery procedure that requires the expertise of a board-certified and experienced surgeon. The surgeon should also possess an aesthetic “eye” to ensure that your nose matches other facial structures. To learn more about revision rhinoplasty surgery, don’t hesitate to schedule a consultation with Dr. Papel, Kontis, & Brown at Aesthetic Center at Woodholme in Baltimore, MD.