Revision Rhinoplasty FAQs

What is revision rhinoplasty?
Revision rhinoplasty, also known as redo rhinoplasty, is when additional surgery is required after a previous rhinoplasty has been performed. Patients seeking revision rhinoplasty may be looking for improved breathing, a change similar to their previous nose, or improvement on their existing rhinoplasty result.

Many advances have been made in revision rhinoplasty over the past five years. Many persons with nasal deformities thought to be "inoperable" in years past by surgeons from other decades may be able to be addressed by newer techniques and better understanding of nasal dynamics.

Revision rhinoplasty is probably the most difficult procedure in all of plastic surgery. While rhinoplasty is difficult procedure by itself, revision rhinoplasty makes this procedure even more challenging. Often times, patients need cartilage grafting to help recreate natural structures and create nasal shape.

Does Dr. Shah have experience in revision rhinoplasty?
Dr. Shah's has extensive background, training, and experience in revision rhinoplasty. 50% of his rhinoplasty practice is revision rhinoplasty work from other surgeons. He is a professor and teaches at a major university to other surgeons on how to perform rhinoplasty better.

He has performed revision rhinoplasty on a wide variety of noses including noses without septal or auricular cartilages, noses without lower lateral cartilages, upper lateral cartilages, severe deviations, noses which have been operated on five or more times, noses with extruded implants, retracted columellas, hanging columellas, pinched nasal tip, wide nasal tip, etc.

Do I need cartilage grafting for my revision rhinoplasty?
Many patients wonder whether cartilage grafting is necessary in revision rhinoplasty. It depends on the characteristics of the nose and how much cartilage or structure was preserved in the nose after the previous rhinoplasty. Dr. Shah utilizes only your existing cartilage in rhinoplasty. This cartilage can come from your existing nasal septum, ears (concha cymba and cavum), and rib (costal cartilage).

Dr. Shah is one of the few surgeons who utilizes costal cartilage. He has published two landmark articles on costal cartilage and is frequently referred complex cases by other prominent nationally known rhinoplasty surgeons. He harvests costal cartilage in a unique manner in which he does not cut any muscles surrounding the rib. He also utilizes a special technique in closing the donor site, making recovery from this procedure rapid and recovery expedient.

Auricular cartilage grafting is done with a postauricular incision, in order to hide the incision. He removes only the portion of the ear which will not effect the ear's shape. In fact, your ear will look the same except feel slightly softer in the portion where auricular cartilage has been removed.

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