Revision Rhinoplasty Surgery Information

Rhinoplasty is one type of cosmetic surgery that is often revised. This is especially true for people who seek rhinoplasty later in life.

Why is that, you ask? Rhinoplasty is a type-changing surgery, which means that it can substantially change your entire appearance. If your mind is unable to accept your new look, whether or not your friends and family think it is a wonderful change, you may not be able to get used to it and may not like it. You may seek revision surgery when the problem may just be that you are not accustomed to your new nose.

You get very accustomed to seeing the same face in the mirror over the years. Rhinoplasty is not a rejuvenation surgery because it changes the appearance of the face completely, while a face lift or brow lift only changes the face a little. It can take many months for someone to become accustomed to the sight of a new nose. Plus, the nose changes further over the course of the first year after your surgery, so you cannot see the end result until months later.

The change affects more than how you see your face. Your nose may even feel "funny" when you wash your face. Your hands are still familiar with your old face and don't recognize the new one. Often, when patients catch a glimpse of themselves in the mirror they report being "caught off guard". This is why many people seek to revise their nose through further rhinoplasty surgery.

Of course, sometimes the nose does need further work. Even the best rhinoplasty surgeons cannot control how the body heals and sometimes this healing distorts the final results. And of course, there are a few less-than-wonderful surgeons out there. Some surgeons do a great job with rhinoplasty, as well as other elective procedures. To learn about how the body heals for other types of elective surgery, view our before and after galleries, including before and after eyelid surgery photos.

Unfortunately, if a good result is not achieved the first time around, it is even more difficult to obtain on the rhinoplasty redo. Revision (also called secondary) rhinoplasty is complex because the body has formed scar tissue or because too much tissue was removed the first time around and none is left over for revision. There are cosmetic surgeons who specialize in revising noses that have already been operated on. If you have had a bad result twice with rhinoplasty, you should look for a rhinoplasty revision specialist. The more rhinoplasties one receives the more difficult it is to correct, regardless of the revision surgeon's skill.

Revision rhinoplasty may require adding material to your nose. Cartilage grafts may be used or even implants to help fill out where your tissue was mistakenly removed in your original rhinoplasty.

Be sure to visit our Revision Rhinoplasty Website for in-depth information on this subject. You can discuss your revision questions with surgeons as well as real patients, chat in real-time, and get support on the revision rhinoplasty message board.