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When is a revision rhinoplasty appropriate?

Revision rhinoplasty, sometimes referred to as secondary rhinoplasty, is a complex area in aesthetic surgery.

Tagged: Facial Treatments

Author: Mr. Bryan Mayou, MB ChB FRCS

Date: 26th February 2021

When is a revision rhinoplasty appropriate?

Revision rhinoplasty, sometimes referred to as secondary rhinoplasty, is a complex area in aesthetic surgery.Certain surgeons even refuse to carry out this procedure. But why is revision rhinoplasty such a difficult area, and when is it appropriate to carry out further surgery on the nose? We will answer those questions for you here.

What is a revision rhinoplasty?

To put it in its most simplistic terms, revision rhinoplasty is when a patient has had a nose job for the second time. Sometimes they may even have undergone more than one previous surgery in their quest to further improve the appearance of their nose.

Revision rhinoplasty often requires cartilage for structural support for the tip and/or bridge of the nose. There is often a deficit of cartilage in the septum and plastic surgeons sometimes have to take cartilage from elsewhere in the body to make this up. Sometimes this may come from the ear or even the ribs. Soft tissue irregularities along the bridge of the nose or tip may also require tissue from another part of the body. Some surgeons favour the hairline. Occasionally, scarring within the nose requires the use of skin grafts to reopen a distorted and narrowed nasal airway.

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When is a revision rhinoplasty appropriate?

Patients turn to revision rhinoplasty to correct the results of a previous nose job. The patient may be unhappy with the result because they feel their nose is still too big, it may have thrown their face out of balance or they may be suffering from breathing difficulties as a result of previous rhinoplasty. These are not always the fault of the surgeon and of course not every aspect of healing is under the surgeon’s control. Another scenario is that the patient may have had unrealistic expectations of the results of their first rhinoplasty.

Despite a surgeon's best efforts, revision rhinoplasty has a higher revision rate than primary rhinoplasty (no prior nasal surgery). Statistics vary, but it is believed that around 15 percent of primary rhinoplasty require revisions for one reason or another.

It is important that patients are aware of this as no ethical plastic surgeon can guarantee the outcome of revision rhinoplasty or any other cosmetic plastic surgical procedure.

Any patient wishing to undergo a revision rhinoplasty should wait until they have completely healed from their last rhinoplasty. It is recommended that a patient should wait at least a year since their previous surgery. Returning for surgery any sooner could cause further, more serious, damage to the nose which could prove very difficult to correct.

The decision to undergo revision rhinoplasty is not one which should be taken lightly.

Why are revision rhinoplasties so complex and difficult?

Revision rhinoplasty is among the most difficult cases aesthetic plastic surgeons face for several reasons.

A revision rhinoplasty is a much more difficult procedure as scar tissue from prior rhinoplasty is often an issue in revision cases and can limit the final outcome since it may recur even after successful revision rhinoplasty. Also, revision rhinoplasty often requires the use of cartilage to replace damaged and/or deficient cartilage removed in the prior surgery.

The patients who seek out further rhinoplasty procedures sometimes do not understand that further rhinoplasty may not be successful in completely correcting cosmetic deformities which were not corrected in the last surgery or occurred as a result of surgery.

Quite often, subjective assessments disagree on whether a nose job is a success or not. The chances are that if a patient expresses dissatisfaction about the results of their rhinoplasty once, they are likely to express further dissatisfaction later on.

In order to undergo any surgery here at the Cadogan Clinic, our expert surgeons must be convinced that you are both physically and psychologically fit and healthy.

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Will my revision rhinoplasty definitely be a success?

No surgeon can ever guarantee that any surgery will be a success. There is always the potential for complications, however slim this chance may be. Revision rhinoplasty is a complicated surgery and as a result some surgeons at some clinics often refuse to carry out this complex procedure.

A patient should always have realistic expectations of the outcome of their revision rhinoplasty. The results which could potentially be achieved are dependent on various factors, including the existing makeup of the nose and how much this has been affected by previous rhinoplasties.

Dependent on which consultant you see at the Cadogan Clinic, a visualisation of what outcome you can expect from your revision rhinoplasty will be made via Crysalix 4D imaging technology. This can help you to picture how your new nose could look.

Where is the best place to get revision rhinoplasty in the UK?

For London revision rhinoplasty, the Cadogan Clinic can offer the very best experts in their field.

We have invited a selection of the country's very best rhinoplasty surgeons to practice with us at our Chelsea clinic, so that you can be sure that whatever your nose concern you will be seeing one of the top surgeons in the UK.

Our specialists have performed many thousands of rhinoplasty cases between them, and regularly feature in the media as ranking among the very best rhinoplasty surgeons in the country.

Our consultants have all received the very best specialist nose surgeon training and are committed to the delivery of the very best results and outcomes.

Ahead of surgery, a comprehensive discussion regarding risks and complications will take place, alongside a discussion regarding the post-procedure and recovery phase.

If you are considering undergoing revision rhinoplasty in the UK, you are welcome to come and speak to our expert team. Please get in touch today to book an initial consultation.

It is also worth considering that the cost of revision rhinoplasty can be far more expensive as it is a far more involved surgery which can take a lot longer than a primary rhinoplasty. The Cadogan Clinic will be able to quote you a price once you have had an initial consultation with one of our specialists.


Treatments mentioned in this article

Rhinoplasty, or a nose job, reduces the shape and size of the nose for health and aesthetic purposes.

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