When it comes to any type of plastic surgery, trusting that your surgeon will do his/her best job on the operating table should be of utmost importance to a patient. A revision procedure that involves a prominent, central feature on your face, such as your nose, requires a true revision rhinoplasty specialist and absolutely nothing less!

In order to find the right surgeon for your revision nasal procedure, you will need to do some digging on the web (and in person, of course) to learn all you can about the specialists who will craft the nose of your dreams. You have quite a project on your hands, but when you look back on your revision rhinoplasty experience with a smile (a smile that looks great with your new nose), you will know it’s all been worthwhile.

Make Excellent Communication a Priority when Choosing a Surgeon

Fortunately, you can find out much of what you initially need to know about your plastic surgeon’s qualifications online. (With that being said though, don’t let his/her internet presence be the only factor to determine whether or not he/she will be the right revision rhinoplasty specialist for your nose).

The final decision on who will be performing your nasal reconstructive surgery should be made only after you have met with multiple rhinoplasty surgeons. From these consultations you should be able to gage what you like vs. what you didn’t like and be able to make a well-informed decision on which surgeon is right for the job of transforming your nose into a better suited one for your face.

Aside from a surgeon’s skill set and years of experience, the most important factor that I stress patients look for in their surgeon is to have a revision rhinoplasty specialist that you can talk to easily, understand clearly and trust to be your expert partner for a successful revision rhinoplasty.

Reconstructive Experience: Essential for the Safest Revision Rhinoplasty

Selecting a top rhinoplasty specialist from a reconstructive plastic surgery practice is the best thing you can do to ensure the optimal result from your revision procedure. Much of the success of your revision rhinoplasty will depend upon what is left for your second surgeon to work with.

Your new surgeon will learn nearly everything he or she needs to know by examining your nose and face at your consultation. However, a revision rhinoplasty surgeon must also be able to handle surprises that can’t be predicted in advance, such as a weak nasal structure.

To your surgeon, it’s a given that your nasal structure is weaker now than before your first surgery. There is no exact science to quantify just how weak or strong the remaining cartilage and bone are, or way to determine how resilient the previously scarred soft tissue will be before going into surgery. These reasons are perfect examples as to why only an expert surgeon should attempt revision rhinoplasty or any type of reconstructive surgery.

Excellent Surgical Judgment Keeps Revision Rhinoplasty on Track

Judgment calls can be an integral part of a successful revision rhinoplasty. A revision rhinoplasty specialist will have developed excellent judgment and a number of advanced surgical techniques that will help to strengthen and correct your weakened nose.

By choosing an expert, you can reduce some of the risks associated with a second surgery in the same spot. This is because a top surgeon can think on his/her feet and adapt the surgical plan to fit any complication that is uncovered during surgery.

Many secondary (revision) rhinoplasties require cartilage grafts to build up/rebuild part of the nose. A plastic surgeon with reconstructive experience has the skills required to do this successfully. Think your corrective rhinoplasty doesn’t rise to the level of reconstruction? Go ahead and choose a revision rhinoplasty specialist that you think is over-qualified to correct your botched nose job, such as a reconstructive surgeon, for the very best outcome.

Increase Your Confidence by Choosing a Microsurgeon

For an optimal rhinoplasty result, put microsurgery, or surgery done under the magnification of a microscope, on the checklist of qualifications that your chosen plastic surgeon must have. Part of a successful revision rhinoplasty is ensuring that the nerves function as well as possible after surgery (to preserve sensation in the nasal area) and making sure that a sufficient blood supply remains within the nose (to speed healing and to keep your skin and nasal tissues healthy in the future).

This may require microsurgical skills to make minute repairs to the soft tissues, which is especially likely to happen when tissues are already traumatized from a prior surgery. As the Chief of Facial Reanimation and Restoration at Hackensack UMC, I regularly use these skills and see the advantages they provide me when performing a complex nasal surgery.

Basic Qualifications of an Expert Rhinoplasty Surgeon

  • ABMS Certification: Surgeons certified by the American Board of Medical Specialties and the American Board of Plastic Surgery must meet exceptionally high standards to qualify and must also continue their education throughout their careers to maintain board certification.
  • Complex rhinoplasty experience: Look for at least 10 years of experience in nasal plastic surgery. You should also ask your revision rhinoplasty specialist how many procedures like yours he has performed over the past year and request to speak with a recent past patient to get an idea of the surgeon’s capabilities and dedication.
  • Familiarity with the latest surgical techniques: An experienced facial plastic surgeon affiliated with a well-known university hospital is ideal.
  • Surgical privileges: An excellent record of safety and success is required to be granted privileges at a prestigious NJ hospital. This provides further evidence of your surgeon’s skills and safety record.
  • Advanced skill set: As discussed in the above sections.
  • Motivation: When meeting with your rhinoplasty surgeon, expect him or her to be honest and clear about the realistic options for your nose job revision, but you should also get the feeling that he or she is invested in your success.
  • Deep understanding of aesthetics and facial harmony: For best results, find a surgeon who shares/understands your idea of attractiveness and your goals for your revision surgery. There may be some limits to what can be done with your nose, depending upon the extent of the trauma from the first surgery. However, an elite rhinoplasty specialist can typically offer you quite an improvement in the look and function of your nose.

When you’re ready to learn about your options for revision rhinoplasty, the surgeons of Cohen/Winters Aesthetic & Reconstructive Surgery in Bergen County, NJ are here to assist. We invite you to contact our offices for a personalized consultation with a revision rhinoplasty specialist dedicated to helping you improve your life.

revision rhinoplasty NJ

Dr. Winters

About Dr. Winters

Dr. Winters specializes in primary, revision, reconstructive, functional and teenage rhinoplasty surgeries. Dr. Winters is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and maintains active memberships in the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery and others.