What is secondary rhinoplasty?
Secondary or revision rhinoplasty is a type of nasal surgery performed on a previously operated nose.
There is a possibility that secondary rhinoplasty may be performed with a graft augmentation.
Why is it performed?
It is usually performed due to a problem with the primary technique or the scarring itself, if aesthetic or functional problems that displease the patient are still perceived.
Generally this surgery is performed on deformities that may have remained in the septum or in the external shape of the nasal pyramid, although there is also a high number of patients who undergo this surgery due to excessive resection of the cartilage. It is not uncommon for a patient who has had a nose job to notice that he/she is breathing worse than before the surgery. At other times he was already breathing badly and he noticed that the problem has not improved.
Secondary rhinoplasty is always a complex surgery.
What does it consist of?
Secondary rhinoplasty is always a complex surgery, since we are operating on tissues that have already acted the inflammatory and consolidation processes, so the detachment of them is laborious and requires a more refined surgical technique.
When surgery is required due to an excess of cartilage resection, the specialist needs to obtain material for grafting from outside the nose. It is possible that there is residual cartilage left in the nasal septum and if this is not the case it will be obtained from the pinna or rib.
Normally, a secondary rhinoplasty is not performed before 6 months after the primary surgery.
Due to its complexity and the need to obtain cartilage from outside the nose, the surgery can take up to 3 or 4 hours, depending on the case and previous surgeries.
Preparation for secondary rhinoplasty
Generally, the internal support structure of the nose, the nostrils and the external appearance must be thoroughly studied.
It is usually the patient himself who points out what he does not like or what he perceives as improvable.
Care after the operation
In the first days after the operation it is advisable not to smoke, to take special care when putting on glasses and not to use contact lenses until indicated by the doctor, not to drink alcohol, avoid activities that require contact or physical effort and try to talk and gesticulate as little as possible.
Recovery is similar to primary surgery, except for the wounds produced to obtain external cartilage to the nose. Therefore, in most cases the patient, unlike in primary surgery, is admitted to the hospital during the first night. In addition, the healing process is slower and the results are generally not seen for several months.
Alternatives to this treatment
Secondary rhinoplasty is a surgery that is performed after a nose job and the only alternative is not to perform it.