Revision Rhinoplasty
Revision Rhinoplasty in Salt Lake City, UT
Annually, plastic surgeons perform over 210,000 rhinoplasties in the United States. Over 15% of these patients end up needing revision rhinoplasty – meaning that more than 30,000 people need multiple rhinoplasties because the first one wasn’t done correctly.
Revision rhinoplasty is secondary plastic surgery, implemented when patients are not satisfied with the results from their previous nose job. Many surgeons will refuse to take on revision rhinoplasties due to their complex and demanding nature. Accordingly, revision rhinoplasty is the job of a highly trained, specialist plastic surgeon like Dr. Derrick Gale.
If you would like to learn more about revision rhinoplasty in Salt Lake City and Riverton, UT, with Dr. Gale, we invite you to contact us today or call (801) 758-0428. Dr. Gale is a highly trained and experienced expert in facial plastic surgery for cosmetic surgery and reconstructive surgery.
Meet Dr. Derrick Gale, MD
Customized Consultations, Individualized Results
With a focus on improving both form and function, Dr. Gale applies experienced aesthetic judgment and surgical expertise to achieve each patient’s individual cosmetic and functional goals. While delivering the highest level of care and expertise, Dr. Gale and his team maintain a down-to-earth and comfortable atmosphere to put you at ease.
What is Revision Rhinoplasty?
Revision rhinoplasty is performed when the results from primary rhinoplasty are not satisfactory. During a primary rhinoplasty, the nasal cartridges and bones are modified, with tissue being added or taken away. This requires expertise and is demanding the first time. However, once the original nasal structure has been changed, it becomes exponentially more difficult for a surgeon to safely and accurately remodify the nose’s structure and appearance to get the necessary functional and aesthetic results.
Surgeons may need to break bones and reset them in their new position to solve aesthetic and functional problems with the nose. Harvesting cartilage from other bodily areas is also commonly practiced to ensure that the surgeon can provide adequate structural support and appearance to the nose. This is why revision rhinoplasty is such a complicated procedure. Revision rhinoplasty also alters the nasal bones, passages, and tissue, all while the process is being performed on an unpredictable canvas.
Why Might Someone Consider Revision Rhinoplasty?
- Their new nose looks fake and unnatural
- Their new nose is not in harmony with their other features
- Their new nose is not as pronounced as they would have liked
- They have difficulty breathing through their new nose
- Their first surgery failed to address their snoring problem, or made it worse
Why is Revision Rhinoplasty Surgery More Difficult than Primary Rhinoplasty?
Compromised Structural Integrity
Once the cartilage and nasal bones have been modified in a primary rhinoplasty (the first rhinoplasty procedure), their relative strength and integrity can become weakened. Surgeons require extra cartilage from other parts of the body to reinforce the region.
In primary rhinoplasties, surgeons use cartilage from the septum to reinforce the structure of the nose. Septal cartilage is ideal for this purpose due to its pliability and relative strength.
In revision rhinoplasty, the septal cartilage is no longer available, meaning the surgeon must harvest cartilage from other parts of the body, namely the ears or ribs. While still capable of providing structural support, cartilage from the ears or ribs is far harder to manipulate than septal cartilage. Frankly, it takes far greater training and experience to apply successfully.
Scar Tissue
Scarring from the initial rhinoplasty is one of the biggest problems facing a successful revision rhinoplasty. How this impacts the next procedure depends on the amount of scarring, but there will always be internal scar tissue from the original rhinoplasty.
The more scar tissue that surrounds the bones and nasal passage, the more challenging the revision rhinoplasty procedure becomes. The revision rhinoplasty surgeon must make exact incisions to change the aesthetic of the nose, without further contributing to additional scarring.
Scarring dramatically impacts how the nose heals and settles after the procedure. Unpredictable patterns may emerge if the revision rhinoplasty surgeon is not careful or experienced enough during the operation.
Unforeseen Complications
In an initial rhinoplasty, surgeons know what to expect. They know the basic structure of the nose and will plan accordingly based on what they know about human anatomy.
In a revision rhinoplasty, however, surgeons might have only a rough idea of what their patients’ nasal structure will be. Still, because they are operating on a modified body part, they can’t be one hundred percent sure what to expect.
Being a successful revision rhinoplasty surgeon requires split-second decision making, knowledge, and experience to provide the best revision rhinoplasty outcome.
Your Revision Rhinoplasty with Dr. Derrick Gale
The best option is to get the primary rhinoplasty done by a highly trusted, experienced, certified plastic surgeon such as Dr. Derrick Gale. It is ultimately up to you, the patient, to ensure you choose a reputable, trustworthy surgeon who can help you achieve the results you desire. Dr. Gale is more than qualified and has performed countless successful revision rhinoplasties.
We invite you to arrange your consultation with one of the most trusted and respected revision rhinoplasty surgeons in the Salt Lake City and Riverton areas of Utah, Dr. Gale of the ENT Center of Utah. Call 801 758 0428 to arrange your revision rhinoplasty consultation today.
Improving Form & Function
Trust Dr. Derrick Gale to help you achieve your goals, whether they are aesthetic, reconstructive or both. View our before and after gallery to see the surgical skill and technical mastery of one of Utah’s leading facial plastic and reconstructive surgeons.
Salt Lake City Revision Rhinoplasty FAQs
Recovery from revision rhinoplasty is similar to that of primary rhinoplasty. There will be significant swelling and bruising associated with the procedure, because of the incisions and repositioning of facial bones. As such, bones need to reconnect, incisions need to seal, and swelling and bruising all needs to subside before the patient can begin resuming a regular schedule. Revision rhinoplasty patients must prepare themselves for a minimum of 2 weeks complete rest following the procedure, with a further 3-4 weeks reduced activity. Most patients fully recover within 8-10 weeks following the procedure.
Patients should ideally not leave the house during the first week after their surgery. This is so the nose, incisions, and bandages stay as clean as possible. After the first week, patients can start judging how much movement they can undertake but should avoid any long-distance travel during the first three weeks. They can then consider longer car journeys, depending on their healing progress.
Unfortunately, the most significant risk of revision rhinoplasty is the necessity for yet another revision rhinoplasty. This comes down to the complicated nature of the procedure, and the fact that many surgeons inadequately perform the revision rhinoplasty. Dr. Gale is fully aware of and prepared for all the complications that may happen during a revision rhinoplasty and will do everything in his power to correct your nose and improve your facial appearance.