Revision rhinoplasty, also known as secondary or tertiary rhinoplasty, is a surgical procedure which is performed to repair cosmetic or functional nasal problems resulting from a previous rhinoplasty surgery. The best candidate for revision rhinoplasty is a physically healthy man or woman who is looking to improve the appearance and/or the function of the nose after a previous rhinoplasty procedure. It is also important that patients have realistic expectations for improvement. Patients considering revision rhinoplasty may never have been happy with the original result or may have had difficulty breathing since then, or they may have healed in an irregular manner or have been over-operated on.
Revision rhinoplasty is a more complicated procedure than primary rhinoplasty and requires special expertise. Dr. Kridel, a highly respected and well-known expert on nasal surgery, frequently lectures on the topic of revision rhinoplasty and has edited a textbook on the subject.
Revision rhinoplasty can take two or more hours to complete and is commonly performed with local anesthesia and sedation or with general anesthesia. Incisions may be made inside of the nose (closed rhinoplasty) or it may be necessary to make an additional small incision externally in a well-concealed location within the natural folds or in otherwise inconspicuous areas (open rhinoplasty). Once the incisions are made, the improved shape will be achieved by repositioning cartilage or replacing missing structures. The skin is then redraped over the nose and the incisions are closed.
Patients undergoing revision rhinoplasty often experience less bruising, swelling and pain than with primary rhinoplasty procedures. The majority of bruising will fade within ten days, though it can take several months for the swelling to fade. Splints applied after surgery are usually removed within seven days. Stitches may also be removed within seven days unless absorbable sutures were used as these dissolve on their own. Most patients can return to work within a week after the revision rhinoplasty procedure, though more strenuous activities should be postponed for three weeks and contact sports, diving and weight-training should be avoided for six weeks.
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