If you’ve had an initial rhinoplasty surgery that did not turn out as expected, there is hope and good news. A rhinoplasty that did not turn out as you expected can be fixed by a skilled surgeon who has had special training in this field. Even with the best surgeons, 7-10% of rhinoplasties need minor revisions six months to a year, or later, after the initial surgery. This is just due to the nature of the variability of each individual patient’s healing and the pre-existing and pre-operative condition of the nose. If the first surgeon “over did” the initial rhinoplasty or failed to correct the initial deformity, it may be necessary for the patient to undergo a more complete and sometimes more complicated revision rhinoplasty surgery.
Even excellent, highly-skilled rhinoplasty surgeons with a great deal of long-term experience may have small issues to resolve or correct after surgery; however, it is a minor procedure compared to revising a nose that was operated on previously by an inexperienced surgeon who does not know current techniques and may only perform a few rhinoplasty surgeries per year.
Revisions, known as “secondary” rhinoplasty, often are very challenging and more difficult than the first, so you need to choose a board certified facial plastic surgeon who performs rhinoplasty on a regular basis with good outcomes and who is current in their techniques. The original rhinoplasty surgeon may or may not be experienced enough to perform the required revision. That surgeon may not know why what they did in the initial surgery did not work well and may have ended up with an unnatural appearing nose that is causing breathing problems.
Typically, the secondary surgery takes longer, is more work and is more expensive. It also usually takes somewhat longer to appreciate the final result due to the scar tissue from the previous surgery or surgeries. People who are unhappy with their initial result must be patient and allow time for the healing process to complete before undergoing a revision rhinoplasty. This typically takes about one year. This is due to the inherent nature of the tissue healing and time for swelling to resolve. In revisions, this may take even longer than a year.
Dr. Perkins has more than 40 years of experience and performs a large number of revision rhinoplasty surgeries every year. He is often called upon to perform these surgeries by patients and their referring rhinoplasty surgeons who are not as experienced as he is in correcting initial rhinoplasty problems. And, from the East and the West Coast and all across America to most countries in Europe, as well as Mexico and South America, Dr. Perkins teaches his cutting-edge revision rhinoplasty techniques to other rhinoplasty surgeons. He does this via continual invitations by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the European Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery and the International Facial Plastic Surgery Societies.
Remember that in order to avoid the need for an expensive revision, it’s very important not to “price shop” for a “bargain” on your first or primary rhinoplasty. Be sure that you take the time to choose a facial plastic surgeon that is board certified by the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and performs this surgery successfully on a very regular basis.
Dr. Perkins utilizes computer-assisted video imaging which enables him to show a potential rhinoplasty patient what their “new” nose will look like – even before deciding to have surgery. This video imaging gives each patient an opportunity to view Dr. Perkins’s surgical recommendations and provide him direct feedback prior to surgery about the likes, dislikes and desires for the appearance of their new nose. This can be particularly reassuring, especially to a prospective patient who is in need of, or desires a revision of their prior rhinoplasty that did not turn out as expected.