Blog

Revision rhinoplasty is the technical term for any nasal reshaping that is performed after an initial nose job has already been done. In many people’s minds, the idea of multiple nose surgeries conjures images of obsessed pop stars and other individuals who seem to never be satisfied with their appearance. Contrary to popular belief, however, recent studies have shown that most people seek revision rhinoplasty for concrete reasons and are satisfied with the results. Rather than seeking a third, fourth, or even fifth nose job, about 97% of patients who have revision rhinoplasty report satisfaction with their results and presumably do not seek further revision.

There are many reasons why a patient might seek a second nasal reshaping. Rhinoplasty is a delicate procedure that requires great skill and planning on the part of the surgeon. The underlying structure of the nose can be extremely complex and delicate to deal with. Further complicating these issues is the healing process itself. Even if a plastic surgeon takes all the necessary steps to create the nose the patient wants, in some cases the tissue heals in an unforeseen way, causing changes to the nose’s final appearance. When this happens, many patients seek a revision procedure to account for those changes that were not adequately foreseen by the original surgeon.

In other cases, revision rhinoplasty is sought by a patient because they are simply not satisfied with the results of the first procedure.  Although many doctors have an ability to provide patients a fairly accurate idea about the kinds of results they can expect, many people find that the nose they originally agreed to still has flaws. But some people, upon seeing the final result of their rhinoplasty procedure, decide that there are certain aspects that should have been addressed the first time around. The vast majority of these patients find that although the initial procedure was too conservative, the revision surgery now has a high degree of success to create a nose that is just right.

The most common reason for seeking a revision rhinoplasty procedure comes down to the experience of the surgeon, according to board-certified facial plastic surgeon Dr. William Binder. Rhinoplasty is the most popular facial cosmetic surgery performed in the United States each year, and it consistently ranks among the most popular cosmetic procedures overall. With so many individuals seeking rhinoplasty, it’s no wonder that many of the doctors performing this procedure are undertrained. There are a number of techniques employed during a nose job. However, novice surgeons may not be well-versed in many of the more complicated methods. The result is a nose job that utilizes inadequate techniques to achieve the end result. For example, many patients want to increase the projection of the tip of the nose. Most surgeons use a tip graft to achieve this. By itself, this procedure produces results that are neither natural nor satisfactory. In these cases, revision rhinoplasty performed by an experienced surgeon can be a great help in its ability to produce the desired result.

Revision rhinoplasty procedures are usually successful for a number of reasons.  Patients who had prior nasal procedures have the knowledge and benefit of their own experience to better understand the outcome of the surgery.  They know what they want and have a much better idea about the kind of results that a nose job can produce. They can discuss their goals and the problems of their last procedure with the new surgeon, allowing her or him to make the necessary adjustments to achieve the patient’s ideal results. Finally, patients tend to be more selective the second time around and avoid the discount surgeons who led them to seek revision in the first place. Rather than obsessive plastic surgery addicts, these patients are shrewd consumers with the benefit of hindsight. It’s no wonder that so many of them find that, when it comes to rhinoplasty, the second time’s the charm.