revision rhinoplasty

 

How soon can I have revision surgery after a rhinoplasty? The general answer is six months. There are two main reasons for this timing. First, the effects of rhinoplasty take that long to settle. Second, scar tissue from the first operation needs time to mature and soften. Sometimes that timing may need to be moved up or sown depending on the patient and the anatomic findings.

How many times can revision rhinoplasty be repeated? It is best to have as few procedures as possible. Each revision rhinoplasty can induce further skin damage, or scar formation. When revision surgery is delayed, the skin has a chance to heal, and scar tissue softens and thins out. Most patients can tolerate three operations on the nose without significantly increased risk.

My nose is still too big after rhinoplasty; can revision rhinoplasty make my nose smaller? Probably yes, but a physical examination will be necessary. In some patients, skin thickness in the nasal tip limits reduction in size. I use computer imaging to demonstrate likely outcome from revision surgery to the tip.

I had rhinoplasty, and now the tip of my nose looks round and unrefined; can this be fixed? There are two main causes for such development: scar formation and/or poor nasal tip cartilage support. In revision rhinoplasty, both problems can be addressed. Frequently, cartilage grafts will be placed to add definition and support to the nasal tip region.

My nostrils look too big after rhinoplasty; can you fix this problem? Excess nostril show is often due to over rotation of the nasal tip. In revision rhinoplasty, the nasal tip can be rotated down to eliminate unappealing look. Sometimes, reducing the size of nostrils can alleviate such problems.

Rhinoplasty made my nose too small; can my nose be made larger? Revision rhinoplasty is often sought to restore an overly reduced, “operated looking” nose. In these cases we employ cartilage grafts or implants to replace missing structure.

Where do you get cartilage to repair my nose during revision rhinoplasty? The best source of cartilage for revision rhinoplasty is septum cartilage from inside the nose. Unfortunately, due to prior surgery, there may not be adequate cartilage available from inside the nose. Other sources of cartilage include: the ear, cartilage from your rib, or cadaver rib cartilage.

If ear cartilage is used for my revision rhinoplasty, will my ear look different? Will my hearing be affected? We harvest ear cartilage from a totally hidden incision behind the ear. By removing cartilage only from designated areas, the shape of the ear will be undisturbed. Your hearing will not be affected after cartilage removal from the ear.

How do you take cartilage from my rib? We make a small incision over one of the lower ribs, near the midline of the chest. In women, this incision can be hidden under the breast. Once an adequate length of the rib is removed, the incision is closed. Most patients stay in the hospital for one night after this procedure.