Rhinoplasty can transform your appearance and help you feel more confident. Unfortunately, the results sometimes don’t meet a patient’s expectations, or an injury undoes the changes made during the surgery. Those are some of the reasons why you might consider revision rhinoplasty.
What Is Revision Rhinoplasty?
Surgery that corrects imperfections or complications following an initial rhinoplasty procedure is called revision rhinoplasty. It’s a complicated procedure that should only be performed by a facial plastic surgeon specializing in revision rhinoplasty. The presence of scar tissue that develops after the first surgery is one of the challenges surgeons face during revision rhinoplasty. There may also be insufficient nasal cartilage, which means the surgeon must graft cartilage from another area (often the patient’s ear). Surgeons use cartilage grafts to rebuild and strengthen the nose.
1) Your Nose Needs a Touch-Up
It takes a long time for your nose to heal after rhinoplasty surgery completely, and sometimes, it can be hard to know what your nose will look like. After healing, you may notice 1 or 2 minor things you would still like to change about your nose. This is pretty common among revision rhinoplasty patients—they’re generally quite happy with their new nose but want to make a few minor touch-ups.
2) Your Nose Doesn’t Function Properly
If your primary rhinoplasty doesn’t heal properly, it could result in functional problems for your nose. This includes breathing problems that affect your sleep or ability to exercise and even result in sinus issues. You want your nose to look great and function appropriately after undergoing rhinoplasty, and if it doesn’t, you may want to consider revision rhinoplasty. Insurance doesn’t cover primary or revision rhinoplasty, but a specialist will focus on function while improving the nose’s appearance.
3) Your Nose Isn’t in Harmony With Your Face
Not all surgeons possess the same skills and experience performing rhinoplasty. Some surgeons only know how to do a handful of nose shapes or sizes or don’t have the experience to handle much variety. If you saw a surgeon like this for your primary rhinoplasty, you may now have a nose that doesn’t seem quite right for your face. Dr. Hobgood will ask questions about your style, occupation, and hobbies. We want to understand your personality and your goals.
A nose should be proportional to your other facial features and promote facial harmony. It blends in well but also stands out as its unique feature. What works for your nose doesn’t necessarily work for another person’s nose. If you feel like your nose doesn’t fit your face after primary rhinoplasty, even if all you can say about your nose is that something seems “off,” you may want to consider visiting a revision rhinoplasty surgeon. You can learn more about preparing for revision rhinoplasty in this previous blog post.
4) You Injured Your Nose After Rhinoplasty
Because it protrudes from the face, a nose is uniquely vulnerable to injury or other severe types of trauma. This is especially true during the first year or two after your surgery. In fact, your nose could become slightly more fragile even after completely recovering because the procedure restructures cartilage and soft tissue.
If you injure your nose after having rhinoplasty, revision rhinoplasty can help repair it. The only caveat is that scar tissue from previous surgeries can make revision rhinoplasty more challenging for the surgeon. For this reason, finding a surgeon experienced in both primary and revision rhinoplasty will be essential.
5) Your Previous Rhinoplasty Didn’t Turn Out the Way You Had Hoped
Occasionally, revision rhinoplasty patients don’t have a small problem; they have a BIG problem in the form of a botched surgery. This is when your nose is just a complete and total mess. Your nose looks much worse now than it did before you had rhinoplasty. This can include anything from a severely upturned nose to a complete collapse of the internal cartilage. No matter what embodies your botched nose, revision rhinoplasty can help to rebuild and return your nose to a normal state.
Revision Rhinoplasty Before and After Photos
Check out additional revision rhinoplasty before and after photos.
Choose a Qualified Surgeon for Your Rhinoplasty
Plastic surgeons aren’t perfect, and plastic surgery isn’t a guaranteed process. However, choosing an experienced and qualified surgeon for your primary or revision rhinoplasty dramatically decreases your risk of complications and problems. Dr. Todd Hobgood is a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon specializing in revision rhinoplasty. In fact, about 40% of his patients are revision rhinoplasty patients. Dr. Hobgood has operated on over 3,000 patients and is genuinely a rhinoplasty expert. You can learn more about his work by checking out his revision rhinoplasty before and after photos here.
Start With a Consultation
You can request a virtual or in-person consultation with Dr. Hobgood by using the online form or by calling his office in Scottsdale, AZ, at (480) 214-9955. During your consultation, Dr. Hobgood will assess your nose and discuss the procedure with you, including the recovery process. You’ll also learn about revision rhinoplasty costs and the guidelines you should follow before and after surgery.
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