It’s been more than a year since your rhinoplasty, and you aren’t happy with what you see. While many patients are satisfied with the results of their first surgery, some end up unsatisfied with their new nose. This can be for number of reasons, from an error made by the surgeon to not being quite sure what you wanted or knowing what to expect when you went in for surgery.
Fortunately, just as you had the opportunity to change your nose with the initial surgery, so you can also change the nose again with a revision procedure. Choosing a surgeon for a revision rhinoplasty is more important however because it is a much more difficult procedure. In addition, finding the best surgeon for the procedure can mean that you finally end up with a nose you’re happy about.
A Focus on Revisions
Although the goal of a rhinoplasty and a revision rhinoplasty might be similar, to change the size or shape of the nose or to improve the function of the nose, so that you can breathe better, it’s important to note that the two surgeries aren’t identical.
When performing a revision rhinoplasty, the surgeon often has less to work with in terms of the supporting structure of the nose. If he or she didn’t perform the initial surgery, he or she might not be aware of what changes were made to the nose, and might have to deal with a number of surprises while operating. During a revision procedure, the surgeon might also have to work around a considerable amount of scar tissue, which can present a greater challenge.
When looking for a surgeon to perform your revision surgery, it’s important to find someone who performs revision procedures on a regular basis and who focuses on offering the procedure to patients. While it is possible to have a third surgery if you aren’t happy with the result of your revision, it’s better to be safe and to find someone with the experience and skill needed to provide you with a result you want. In particular, something that is very important for restoring the normal anatomy and structure to the nose is the use of cartilage, most likely from the septum, but other options include the ear and rib.
Getting a Sense of the Surgeon
Getting along with your surgeon is also pretty important. While you don’t have to be best buddies, you do want to get the sense that you can trust what your doctor is telling you. When you leave the consultation, you want to feel that the surgeon was able to answer your questions about the surgery, your recovery and what to expect in general. A surgeon who is dismissive of any questions you have or who seems rushed during the consultation might not be the best choice for you, especially if you ended up being dissatisfied with your first surgeon and your first nasal surgery experience.
Ask Around
You’ve gotten a good idea of your surgeon’s experience and training and have had your first consultation with him or her, but still aren’t sure whether this is the doctor for you or not. At this point, it might be good to seek out the surgeon’s past patients and find out what they really thought.
You can connect with previous patients in several ways. During your consultation, your surgeon will most likely show you pictures of patients before and after their revision surgeries. Those photos will give you a few concrete examples of the work your surgeon can do. You might also want to ask the surgeon for a few references, so that you can reach out to previous patients and find out what they thought of the doctor, of their surgery, and of their results.
Since most surgeons will most likely choose the patients they refer to you with care, another way to get a clearer picture of the doctor is to look at reviews posted online. You may need to take some reviews with a grain of salt, though. Some review sites will let anyone post, even if that person wasn’t an actual patient of the doctor. Look for sites that provide verified reviews or reviews that clearly came from a real patient to get the best idea of what to expect.
What About Your First Surgeon?
As you consider having a revision surgery performed, you might wonder if it’s a good idea to go back to your first surgeon. The answer really depends on several factors. If you didn’t get along with him or her or thought that the work wasn’t up to snuff, returning for a revision surgery might be a bad idea. But, if you’re considering a revision surgery because of something that happened to your nose after the fact and if you were happy with your results, at least at first, it might be okay to return to your previous doctor.
The most important thing to look for a is a surgeon who specializes in rhinoplasty, such as Dr. Jeffrey Epstein. Dr. Epstein has been performing rhinoplasty and revision rhinoplasty for more than two decades and regularly performs about five surgeries per week. He offers revision procedures at his Miami and New York City practices. To schedule a consultation in New York, call (212) 759-3484. For an appointment in Miami, call (305) 666-1774.
Founder and Director of the