Revision Rhinoplasty (Secondary Rhinoplasty)

I would like to share with you important information about secondary rhinoplasty which is the most curious topic for patients who want to have a rhinoplasty. Complaints such as nasal deformities or nasal obstruction may occur after nasal aesthetic operations. In such a case, it is necessary to plan a secondary rhinoplasty in which procedures are performed to correct the cosmetic or functional problems. The procedures performed to correct the problems of the patients after nasal aesthetic surgery are called “revision rhinoplasty”, “revision nose job” or “secondary rhinoplasty”.

“The need for revision rhinoplasty can be reduced if all variables are taken into account especially for patients in the pre-operative planning process; but revision may be needed even if nasal aesthetic operations are performed by the most experienced surgeons. The need for revision rhinoplasty may occur for many different reasons; failure of the patient to comply with the requirements of the post-operative period, poor cartilage structure and skin-specific factors may require planning revision rhinoplasty. “

What is Revision Rhinoplasty?

Secondary rhinoplasty, which is performed due to undesired changes in the nose shapes of the patients who have had rhinoplasty in the past or experience respiratory problems, is called revision nose job or revision rhinoplasty.

During the revision rhinoplasty, the expectations of the patients should be learned and the surgical interventions to the patients should be planned carefully. Revision rhinoplasty can be also performed with open or closed technique. I plan the technique selection for revision rhinoplasty in line with the patient’s first rhinoplasty technique in my general practice. If the patient had her/his first operation with open technique, it would be more appropriate to plan revision rhinoplasty with open technique, and if her/his first operation was performed with closed technique, it would be more appropriate to plan revision rhinoplasty with closed technique.

In Which Conditions is Revision Rhinoplasty Performed?

I can list the conditions that require revision rhinoplasty as follows:

Nasal airway obstruction,
Drooping of the nasal septum,
Nose shape being too artificial
Nasal valve problems
Disruption of nose asymmetry
The back of the nose being more or less corrected
Drooping of the nasal tip
Nasal tip being narrowed too much
Nasal tip being upturned to disrupt naturality

How is Revision Rhinoplasty Performed?

Revision rhinoplasty is planned according to the complaints and problems experienced by the patient after her/his first rhinoplasty. Revision rhinoplasty, which sometimes requires comprehensive surgical interventions, is completed with small touches in some patients.

Secondary rhinoplasty consultation should include whole face analysis as in primary rhinoplasty. It should be remembered that incompabilities in facial contours such as chin deformities, facial collapse, low eyebrow and lip shape are highly effective on patient satisfaction.

When Should Revision Rhinoplasty Be Performed?

The time of secondary rhinoplasty should be correctly adjusted after the first rhinoplasty. Although patients prefer to act in a bit of hurry, it is beneficial to wait for the complete recovery process. After the first rhinoplasty, the decision of revision rhinoplasty may lead to wrong implications before the patients get rid of edema completely and their nose takes its final shape. Therefore, I suggest to wait 6 months – 1 year for secondary rhinoplasty.

Is Revision Rhinoplasty Difficult?

All nasal aesthetic operations require experience. When it comes to revision rhinoplasty, this requirement is clearly noticeable. The degree of difficulty of revision rhinoplasty may be changed depending on whether the patient has scar tissue after the first rhinoplasty, the size of the problem in the nose, whether the patient experiences cosmetic problems or respiratory distresses, in short, the scope of things to do during secondary rhinoplasty. The important thing at this point is to choose the right surgeon who will perform the operation. For revision rhinoplasty, it would be a correct approach for patients to prefer surgeons who have comprehensive knowledge of nasal anatomy of patients and have the ability to intervene in possible complications.