Five Things to Remember When You Want Revision Rhinoplasty
Sometimes, a rhinoplasty surgery doesn’t give the patient the results that he or she really wanted. This can be frustrating considering all the time and financing you had to go through to get the procedure in the first place. Revision rhinoplasty is a procedure that can correct or improve the results of a previous rhinoplasty (or multiple rhinoplasties) so that you can have the results you were always hoping for. Before you have revision rhinoplasty, there are a few things you need to remember.
1.) Your Nose Has to Completely Heal First
When we say completely, we mean completely. The total recovery time depends on the amount of surgery your nose had in your previous rhinoplasty, but it can take anywhere from nine months to two years. That’s because your nose is made of bone and cartilage, which takes a long time to heal once it has been altered or reconstructed. Plus, revision rhinoplasty requires the surgeon to deal with something that wasn’t present in your initial surgery – scar tissue. Scar tissue is much tougher than undamaged soft tissue because your body wants to make sure that your injury doesn’t open up again. Over time, the scar tissue will soften a little so that it is easier to work with. If a surgeon tries to do a revision rhinoplasty before your nose is healed and the scar tissue has softened, they could unintentionally do serious damage to your nose.
Generally speaking, you should plan to wait at least one year from your previous rhinoplasty surgery before have revision rhinoplasty. That length of time could change depending on your consultation.
2.) You Don’t Have to Go Back to the Same Surgeon
In fact, unless your previous rhinoplasty failed from some sort of mishap on your part, you shouldn’t go back to the same surgeon. Why would you want to get another rhinoplasty from someone who gave you inadequate results? Take the time to check out other surgeons along with their rhinoplasty results. Make sure that they perform revision rhinoplasty and have positive feedback from former patients about the procedure. Many rhinoplasty surgeons, including Dr. Nassif, are revision rhinoplasty specialists who have spent years doing the procedure on patients just like you.
3.) Be Clear About Your Rhinoplasty Goals
Any time you meet with a plastic surgeon, it’s important that you communicate your goals well. This becomes especially important during your revision rhinoplasty consultation. Your surgeon needs to understand what went wrong with your previous surgery and what you’re looking for in order to form a complete plan for fixing your nose. If you are not clear about what you want, your surgeon won’t know how to help you. You could even be right back where you started, with a nose that you don’t like.
4.) Revision Rhinoplasty is One of the Hardest Facial Surgeries
This is another reason to be careful about who you choose for your surgeon, but it’s also a reason to be flexible once you choose. Your surgeon is always going to want to give you the best results possible, but those results may not be exactly the ones you want. Your nose has already gone through some significant trauma and healing from your previous surgery. The way your nose is structured now combined with the new scar tissue may not allow the surgeon to reshape your nose exactly the way you want it. However, if you can be a little flexible with your goals, a good revision rhinoplasty surgeon will work with you so that you can get as close to your goals as possible and still have a nose that you are happy with at the end of the process.
5.) Your Recovery Will Be More Difficult After Revision Rhinoplasty
Your nose has already been through surgery once before, so the cartilage and soft tissue will be even more delicate even after they’ve completely healed. This means that your recovery from revision rhinoplasty will likely be even more difficult than before. You should expect to experience more bruising and swelling, and you should expect your nose to need a lot more time to completely heal once more. The silver lining is that recovery from revision rhinoplasty is essentially the same as the recovery from your previous surgery, so you already know what to expect.
Choose Dr. Nassif For Your Revision Rhinoplasty
Dr. Nassif is an expert in all things rhinoplasty, including revision rhinoplasty. He has a stellar reputation around the world for creating and recreating noses that are aesthetically pleasing and perfectly functional for his patients. His goal is always to provide his patients a positive surgical experience with the highest level of satisfaction.
To schedule a revision rhinoplasty consultation with Dr. Nassif, call (310) 275-2467 today!