Death of a Salesman

Unfortunately in any exact art there is the chance of minor to moderate imperfections. This is also the case with any form of plastic surgery regardless of the skill level of the plastic surgeon involved. Rhinoplasty, a very common form of plastic surgery, is a medical art that can often require touch-ups to the original operations to make certain the nose looks exactly as desired. When these minor touch-ups are required they are known as revision rhinoplasty.

Revision rhinoplasty is in essence no different than the original operation. The cosmetic surgeon will anesthetize the patient and then proceed with one of two methods dependent upon the nature of the revision necessary. These methods are known as the closed and open techniques. The closed technique will be performed in a focused manner working within the nostrils to cut away excess material and reshape the nose without touching the external skin. The external skin of the nose will normally shrink to fit and cases of it not shrinking are inordinately rare. The open method is a more drastic process generally reserved for drastic changes to the nose or for correction of a deviated septum. The septum is the partition in the nasal cavity that divides it into two separate air ways. In the open method the section of flesh between the nostrils is cut and the skin of the nose is lifted gently to allow the surgeon greater access to the working area.

Other than the possibility that yet another revision surgery may be required if the desired results are not achieved the same side effects and risks are part of the revision rhinoplasty process. Swelling, bruising, and possible numbness of the nose are all fairly common occurrences.