Dr. Trang Vo-Nguyen (Dr. V) is a board certified facial plastic surgeon providing rhinoplasty as well as revision rhinoplasty procedures. If a patient is dissatisfied with the primary nose surgery performed by a surgeon, a corrective surgery called revision rhinoplasty may have to be performed. Dr. V provides this procedure to her patients in Chantilly, Northern Virginia, Loudoun County, Fairfax, Prince William, Fauquier, Arlington, Middleburg, Leesburg, Manassas, Warrenton, and other areas.
When is Revision Rhinoplasty Performed?
In some cases, the original rhinoplasty procedure may have resulted in a compromise of the patient’s basic facial integrity or ethnicity, or the results may appear very obvious. Some patients may be unhappy with the lack of harmony of the new nose with other facial features, or the procedure may have caused obstruction in breathing or other functional difficulties. In such cases, an experienced plastic surgeon may be consulted for a revision rhinoplasty to remove the aberrations caused by the primary surgery.
Treatment Planning
Revision rhinoplasty is typically a more complicated procedure compared to primary rhinoplasty. Therefore, this procedure should be performed only by an experienced plastic surgeon specializing in facial procedures. Patients in and around Chantilly, Northern Virginia, Loudoun County, Fairfax, Prince William, Fauquier, Arlington, Middleburg, Leesburg, Manassas, and Warrenton have an opportunity to receive this treatment from Dr. V.
She will first assess the cosmetic and functional problems of the nose that the primary surgery may have caused or left untreated. In some cases, the problem may not be directly related to the primary nose surgery, but may have occurred during the period of recovery. The exact nature and causes of the problem will be established, and an appropriate treatment plan will be prepared taking into account the patient’s facial anatomy, aesthetic goals, and previous nose surgeries.
Goal of Revision Rhinoplasty
Revision rhinoplasty procedure aims to restore the appearance of the nose in accordance with the patient’s aesthetic goals through correction of the problems caused during the first surgery. In revision surgery, sometimes the plastic surgeon may be required to perform a re-construction of the nose and re-draping of the skin.
Limiting factors such as natural thickness and texture of the nasal skin, elasticity of the skin, and availability of cartilage may have to be dealt with in revision rhinoplasty. The primary procedure may have caused scar tissue formation, which can be another factor that the surgeon will have to overcome in a revision procedure.
Nose Reconstruction
Revision rhinoplasty may often require reconstruction of the underlying nasal structure to restore aesthetic appearance as well as correct functional problems of the nose. In some cases, nose grafting may be necessary, which may involve patient’s own cartilage from the ear, nose or ribs. Aberrations on the nasal bridge or nasal tip may be obscured by using Fascia from the scalp. Silicone implants may be used if the patient’s natural tissue availability is limited, or cosmetic concerns require the use of silicone implants.
Recovery
The patient can go back to work usually within a week after the surgery. Full effects of the procedure become visible as the swelling and bruising resolves over the next several weeks.
