subject: Revision Rhinoplasty Information - 3 Factors To Consider Before Fixing A Bad Nose Job [print this page] "Redoing" a prior nose job that left you unsatisfied is a daunting task. To help prospective patients with this process, I have included three factors you should know prior to considering revision rhinoplasty.
1.) How long ago was your prior nose surgery? And what region of the nose are you concerned about?
Complete healing from a prior nose surgery can take up to a full year. This is especially true to at the tip of the nose. This region is the most cosmetically sensitive and the last to completely heal. Anxious patients looking to remedy some expected postoperative healing by having another surgery could potentially cause more problems.
For patients concerned about the shape or position of their tip, I typically recommend waiting a full year before considering revising the nose.
The bridge of the nose is less gravity dependent than the tip and tends to settle faster. This region can be assessed earlier than the tip for revisions.
2.) You may need additional grafts or implants to achieve the revision you are looking for.
When a patient whose surgery was previously done elsewhere comes in for a revision nasal surgery, one of the first things I consider is how preserved is his/her nasal anatomy. In the past, prior nasal surgeries frequently altered the underlying nasal cartilage, weakening the nose and ultimately distorting the shape of the nose. This has potentially impaired the true function of the nose (which is to breathe). When this occurs, the nasal framework needs to be reconstructed. To do so, I recommend using cartilage grafts in the region of the tip.
Ideally the source for this graft would be from inside your nose (the nasal septum) but frequently, prior nasal surgeries have used all available cartilage inside your nose. Alternative sources for cartilage grafting material for revision surgeries can be from your ear, your rib, or banked/donated rib.
3.) How long will the revision rhinoplasty take to heal?
In general, revision rhinoplasties take longer to heal. Factors that contribute to how long it takes to heal are: amount of grafts used during the surgery and the amount of work done. In general, the nose for redo rhinoplasties takes about one year to heal.
by: Dr. Edward Kwak
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