Sometimes, our first nose job may not have the results that we expected. On occasion, this can be because of a plastic surgeon’s work not matching your expectations.
Disillusion with a rhinoplasty can also happen over time, as the natural elastic qualities of skin and cartilage result in a nose job that changes slightly over time. We’ll explain all of the revision rhinoplasty risks and facts right here for those thinking of a second nose job.
Why Revision Rhinoplasty?
So why would you go for a second nose job anyways? In our experience, there’s no one main reason that people look into revision rhinoplasty. The issues they want to resolve can range from minor tweaks to major redos. Here are some of the main reasons we’d recommend getting a second nose job – if any of these apply to you, it might be revision time.
Not Enough Cartilage Removed
Even a top facial plastic surgeon may be conservative in their rhinoplasty procedure: this means, to avoid a “botched” experience, they may not remove enough cartilage the first time.
As a result, the bump removal and reduction you might have wanted won’t be apparent. However, this type of “mistake” can be easily fixed with a second nose job that re-targets the problem areas.
Too Much Cartilage Removed
Sometimes, botched rhinoplasties create the opposite issues, where too much cartilage is removed from an area, replacing the old imbalance with a new one. This can be fixed with a second nose job. Cartilage can be taken from elsewhere in the nose, or another part of the body, like the ear or rib cage can reverse the mistake.
We also offer injectable fillers to help smooth out places where too much cartilage was removed. These can include new injectable fillers such as Restylane®, Artecoll®, and RADIESSE®.
Pinched Tips
Sometimes a reduction doesn’t take away too much cartilage but is too aggressive in tightening the fleshy parts of the nose, resulting in a “pinched” look. This kind of error can often lead to breathing issues. A second nose job can help round out the look of the nose while restoring easy breathing.
Scarring
Sometimes a rhinoplasty gives the desired result but is done in a sloppy manner that leaves scarring that won’t heal properly. A second nose job can smooth out these kinds of blemishes.
Asymmetry
In many cases, a rhinoplasty isn’t even with its adjustments, making the nose seem imbalanced, either horizontally or vertically. Depending on the type of asymmetry, this can be resolved by removing or adding cartilage as needed.
Risks of Revision Rhinoplasty
There are nasal surgery risks that are associated with any kind of operation you might have. Revision rhinoplasty risks often fall into these same types of categories. While a skilled rhinoplasty surgeon can mitigate most second nose job risks, it’s still important to be aware of these revision rhinoplasty risks. These can include:
Nosebleeding
Any rhinoplasty is likely to cause some level of nosebleeding. This is not a serious nasal surgery risk unless the nosebleeding becomes chronic – in this case, you should consult a doctor.
Infection
Infection is generally uncommon after rhinoplasties but can happen. Among second nose job risks is the possibility that the more significant amount of work done on the nose might raise the risk of infection. Usually, this infection will simply result in swelling and can be combatted with antibiotics.
Breathing Issues
If multiple rhinoplasties reduce the basic structure of the nose too much, this can result in breathing difficulties for the patient. Experienced surgeons such as Dr. Rival can ensure that the nasal passages remain intact, but some surgeons may have trouble keeping these structures undamaged through multiple rhinoplasties.
Undesired Results
One nasal surgery risk that you can encounter is that it doesn’t look like you imagined. This risk can be a compounding one – if you don’t like the results of a rhinoplasty, you might feel the need for a second nose job – which can then turn into the need for multiple rhinoplasties if none give you the exact result you desire.
How Many Revision Rhinoplasties Can You Get?
Ideally, your revision rhinoplasty will leave you with the nose you want for the rest of your life. However, one of the second nose job risks is that you might still not be satisfied with the result. But how many revision rhinoplasties can you get?
In truth, there’s no actual set number. The limit isn’t so much a hard sum, but each additional rhinoplasty comes with more complications, which increases the number of revision rhinoplasty risks.
A good surgeon can do many simple rhinoplasty operations with little problem. The more complexity that is involved over more nose jobs, the more that returns will diminish.
The best bet is always to get the best surgeon to give their best work the first time through and for the patient to be confident in the choice they’ve made.
First Time or Revision, Make Your Rhinoplasty The Best It Can Be
Dr. Rival is an Otolaryngologist Head and Neck Surgeon, trusted by hundreds of his patients to deliver beautiful and natural results, including rhinoplasty, brow lift surgery, forehead lift, or their non-surgical counterpart.
No matter what kind of cosmetic operation you are looking for, surgical or non-surgical, it’s best first to consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. If you are looking for a non-surgical nose job in Toronto, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’ll be happy to answer any of your questions.