Revision Rhinoplasty - Should I See a Specialist?

asked 6 months ago by hb11
Latest answer by William Portuese, MD
Question viewed 169 times
Tags: choosing a surgeon, options, specialist

I had my primary rhinoplasty in May. My surgeon warned me that crooked noses may revert, and it did slightly. The revision procedure sounds simple and will only take an hour; he needs to rasp the bone, and reset the crooked/indentation of the cartilage of the bottom half. He's waving his fee and my nose won't be broken. I've heard horror stories about revisions. Are they best left to specialists? It sounds uncomplicated, since many of the variables have been eliminated. What should I do?

9 answers to Revision Rhinoplasty - Should I See a Specialist?

Revision Rhinoplasty - Should I See a Specialist?

I have performed Rhinoplasty and Revision Rhinoplasty, for well over 20 years and if your current Rhinoplasty Surgeon is willing to do the Revision Rhinoplasty and you have faith in his/her abilities, this is in your best interest IMHO. Rhinoplasty and Revision Rhinoplasty are specializations of plastic and cosmetic surgery already. If you're concerned have a few second opinions.

Francis R. Palmer, III, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

drfrancispalmer.com

Specialist for Revision Rhinoplasty?

I feel all rhinoplasty surgery should be done by a surgeon who specializes in this procedure. You are correct when you state that revision rhinoplasty is particularly challenging and some surgeons specialize in this operation - 2/3rds of my rhinoplasties are revisions of work that was done before I saw the patient. It sounds like your surgeon is experienced - pre-operatively he warned you about the difficulty of correcting a crooked nose and appears confident about the revision... more

Richard W. Fleming, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

Best to see a specialist for revision rhinoplasty

Seek a rhinoplasty surgeon who is very experienced with this type of operation. Make sure that the surgeon has performed thousands of rhinoplasties and that you feel quite comfortable with the surgeon and the plan of correction for your nose.

William Portuese, MD
Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.seattlefacial.com

Revision Rhinoplasty?

Thank you for the question. I would suggest that you have an honest conversation with your plastic surgeon asking him about his experience with revisionary rhinoplasty surgery; if he does have significant experience, then he will likely be best suited to perform your surgery, given that he knows exactly what was done initially. Best wishes.

Tom J. Pousti, MD
San Diego Plastic Surgeon

Having a specialist perform revision rhinoplasty

It is usually in your best interest to have your original surgeon perform the revision rhinoplasty if you feel comfortable with him or her and they appear to have a good plan to address the problem at hand. It is important to have someone experienced in performing revision rhinoplasty. At the same time, it is very helpful for the revision surgeon to already know exactly what was done during the first surgery.

Thomas A Lamperti, MD
Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.drlamperti.com

Revision Rhinoplasty

Revision rhinoplasty is best undertaken by a specialist who does plenty of primary and revision rhinoplasties. Your surgeon has a plan in mind and it sounds like he or she knows where the problem lies. However, I would be reluctant to characterize any revision rhinoplasty as "simple". If your primary procedure was in May, my opinion would be to wait at least a full year because you may have continued warping or assymmetry. It would be nice to work with a... more

Anurag Agarwal, MD
Naples Facial Plastic Surgeon

Revision rhinoplasty

Revision rhinoplasty can be tricky and requires experience. If your surgeon feels comfortable with the procedure and you feel confident with him, it may bee a good idea to allow him to do it, since he knows what he did the first time.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Revision Rhinoplasty

A large portion of my practice is focused on revision rhinoplasty. I have found that this area of plastic surgery requires significant judgement and experience. After each rhinoplasty, it becomes progressively harder to correct contour deformities and reshape the nose. If your current surgeon is confident he can address your concerns, he is probably the best person to revise your rhinoplasty, because he know best what occurred during the last operation. If you are having second thoughts, I... more

Richard Ellenbogen, MD
Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon

Revision rhinoplasty

It sounds like your surgeon has been paying close attention to you and that you have a good rapport with him. If he is confident that he can execute the adjustment then I would not seek another surgeon at this time. Your current surgeon has the only true knowledge of what was done previously and therefore has the best chance of keeping this a limited procedure. A new surgeon likely will have to do some major reworking just to be sure the result holds up.