Top UK Rhinoplasty Surgeon, Julian Rowe-Jones on: What is revision rhinoplasty?

Revision rhinoplasty

Revision rhinoplasty can really fall into two groups: it can be refinement, a little bit more surgery because the surgeon and the patient still think a little bit more improvement is possible, even if really good surgery is done the first time. There’s also secondary rhinoplasty and on the whole, secondary rhinoplasty is for surgery done the first time that’s resulted in a bad outcome.

Secondary rhinoplasty

I have a lot of experience of secondary rhinoplasty, it’s difficult, unpredictability is always there in a primary rhinoplasty, it’s even more so in the secondary or revision rhinoplasty; you can’t predict necessarily what you’re going to find. The tissues are scarred and there’s poor material to work with, the skin is not very elastic, so what you can achieve may be less in a secondary or revision rhinoplasty than in a primary rhinoplasty.

Best chance

Your best chance is always the first chance, secondary or revision rhinoplasty may require rebuilding the nose and your surgeon should know how to use rib cartilage, your surgeon should know how to use ear cartilage, the surgeon might have to use skin and cartilage from somewhere else, so you need to ask your surgeon these questions if you’re embarking upon a revision rhinoplasty. I think it’s also true to bear in mind  that revision rhinoplasty itself might need further surgery. In my practice difficult revision rhinoplasty is more likely to need yet another operation to fine-tune that, than if I’m doing a rhinoplasty for the first time.

Same patient twice

And lastly, the other thing I will consider in seeing someone for a secondary rhinoplasty is, would I have done their first rhinoplasty? Sometimes patients who request secondary rhinoplasty are very particular and their expectations could never have been met, so in those circumstances I will say no to a secondary rhinoplasty.

Presented by Julian Rowe-Jones, Top UK Rhinoplasty Surgeon

More about Julian Rowe-Jones

Julian Rowe-Jones founded The Nose Clinic in 1998 with a clear mission to deliver world leading standards of cosmetic nose surgery (Rhinoplasty) in Guildford, and now in Harley Street, London. His aim is to provide a level of friendly and professional consultancy, advice, support and patient care that complements and enhances these standards. His expertise as a rhinoplasty surgeon is central to the success of his patients; and you can read more about his background and experience in specialising.

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