Why First Nose Jobs Fail? Top 14 Reasons for Failed Rhinoplasty

Rhinoplasty is one of the most common aesthetic operations performed both to balance facial aesthetics and to eliminate respiratory problems. However, not every rhinoplasty surgery may give the desired result. Especially in individuals who have rhinoplasty for the first time, mistakes made in both surgical planning and the healing process may cause the operation to fail. In such cases, the patient may experience physical and psychological conditions. You can browse our content to get detailed information about these and similar situations. In this way, you can approach the rhinoplasty process more consciously and learn in advance what to pay attention to both the choice of surgeon and the post-operative recovery period. We wish you all healthy days and good reading.

How to Recognize a Failed Rhinoplasty?

Although high rates of success are achieved in primary rhinoplasty procedures, unsuccessful results may be encountered in some cases. Although such situations are sometimes difficult to understand, they are often difficult to understand from the outside. At this point, the most common conditions can be deformations such as disproportionate appearance of the nose shape to the face, falling nasal tip, curvature, asymmetry or collapse. Functionally, the patient may have breathing difficulties, nasal congestion or airway problems due to deterioration of the structures in the nose. In addition, a significant hump on the dorsum of the nose or failure to achieve the desired thinness may also be considered as a failure by patients. Thus, if such problems still persist when the postoperative healing process is completed (usually 6-12 months) or if serious visual disturbances are encountered, it may be considered that the primary rhinoplasty results do not meet expectations and the intervention has failed. Therefore, the problem can be solved by applying to a rhinoplasty surgeon. 

Causes of Unsuccessful Rhinoplasty

There may be many reasons for unsuccessful primary rhinoplasty. These reasons can sometimes be caused by the patient, while sometimes they can be caused by the operation process and planning errors. In order to prevent these and similar situations, both the patient should be very careful before and after the operation and the operation process should be carried out properly and planned by the surgeon. Otherwise, it is inevitable to encounter unsuccessful primary rhinoplasty results.

Reasons for Unsuccessful Rhinoplasty Due to the Operation Process

Among the reasons for the failure of primary rhinoplasty are the reasons arising from the operation process. This may include reasons such as incorrect or incomplete planning by the surgeon. To discuss these reasons in more detail;

• Poor Planning Before Rhinoplasty Operation

One of the main reasons for a failed rhinoplasty is inadequate or incorrect preoperative planning. Because when situations such as the structural features of the nose, skin thickness, facial proportions and patient expectations are not analyzed correctly, aesthetically incompatible and functional problems may occur. For this reason, instead of a standard planning, the surgeon should make a personal planning based on the patient’s discomfort and expectations.

• Incorrect Incision Planning

The location and shape of the incisions made in rhinoplasty may cause the primary rhinoplasty procedure to fail. In such cases, incisions made in the wrong place can cause both aesthetic scars to remain prominent and tissue healing to be problematic. In addition, incorrect incision on the columella during open rhinoplasty may cause the tip of the nose to fall or leave a scar. For this reason, it is very important for the surgeon to plan the incision properly and carefully.

• Removal of Excess Cartilage and Bone from the Bridge of the Nose

Removal of too much bone or cartilage tissue from the bridge of the nose can also cause the primary rhinoplasty procedure to fail. In this case, depressions may occur on the bridge of the patient’s nose.  As a result of these depressions, the saddle nose deformity known as “saddle nose” is encountered. For this reason, care should be taken not to remove excess cartilage and bone tissue from the bridge of the nose.

• Damage to the Cartilage of the Nasal Tip

The tip of the nose is the most prominent area of the nose in terms of aesthetic appearance. For this reason, the smallest mistake made in this area can cause damage. In such cases, excessive intervention in the nasal tip cartilage may cause the tip of the nose to fall, appear asymmetrical or cause stiffness. In addition, damage in this area may cause unnatural nasal movements with facial expressions, causing the patient to experience problems and difficulties in daily life.

• Excessive Removal of the Nasal Septum

The septum is an important cartilage in the central part of the nose that provides structural integrity. In general, this structure ensures proper breathing by separating the air passageways on both sides of the nose equally. However, if the nasal septum is removed too much, the structural support of the nose weakens and a series of serious complications may occur. For this reason, care should be taken when performing procedures on the nasal septum in procedures such as septum deviation. Those considering treatment options often search for solutions like deviated septum Turkey, where experienced surgeons offer advanced techniques to correct both functional and aesthetic issues.

• Underutilization of Skin Graft

In some cases of rhinoplasty, a skin graft should be used to support the nasal skin or to preserve the natural contours. However, inadequate use of the graft can lead to negative appearances such as thinning, shining or vascularization of the nasal skin. This is especially noticeable in people with thin skin. Therefore, the amount, placement and type of skin graft should be carefully planned according to the patient’s skin structure and nasal anatomy. 

• Failure to Manage the Process Appropriately for Nose Skin

The nasal skin of each individual has different thickness and elasticity. For example; When a thin nose structure is applied to a thick-skinned nose, the result may not be evident. On the other hand, sharp changes made in thin-skinned noses allow the underlying structures to be seen and an unnatural result to emerge. For this reason, surgical techniques suitable for the skin structure should be performed. Otherwise, the patient may encounter unwanted results.

• Excessive Lifting of the Tip of the Nose

Lifting the tip of the nose too high may cause the nostrils to appear too much and give the nose a “pig nose” appearance. This causes disproportion in the patient’s facial profile and creates an appearance far from natural aesthetics. It can also negatively affect the functions of the nose. For example; Situations such as inability to breathe comfortably. For this reason, the tip of the nose should be lifted according to the patient’s face shape and planning should be done accordingly. 

• Nose Tip and Bridge Being the Same Width

In a natural nose structure, the tip of the nose is slightly wider than the bridge. However, if the nasal tip and bridge line are the same width after surgery, the nose looks like a flat bar and creates disharmony with the face. For this reason, in order to avoid this situation, the width of the tip of the nose and the bridge of the nose should be planned and performed correctly.

Patient Causes of Failed Rhinoplasty

Another common reason for the failure of primary rhinoplasty can be patient-related. The patient should pay attention to many points both before and after rhinoplasty. In this way, the patient can achieve the desired results. To examine these reasons mentioned above in detail;

• Wrong Rhinoplasty Surgeon Selection

Rhinoplasty is one of the most delicate operations requiring both technical and artistic skills in the field of aesthetic surgery. Therefore, the choice of surgeon is one of the most critical factors that directly affect the success of the operation. In this context, a surgeon who does not have sufficient experience, has limited command of nasal anatomy or does not consider the harmony of facial aesthetics and nose, may cause unsatisfactory results both aesthetically and functionally. In addition, the risk of complications increases and revision surgery may be necessary. Therefore, the surgeon’s past operation examples, patient comments and specialization area should be investigated in detail.

• Failure to Follow the Doctor’s Recommendations

The recovery process after rhinoplasty is as important as the operation. Therefore, in this process, all the recommendations given by the doctor should be strictly followed. Especially in the first weeks, the healing process may be interrupted if rules such as avoiding water contact with the nose, not lying face down, and using prescribed medications regularly are ignored. This can lead to prolonged edema, deformities or increased risk of infection. Therefore, patient responsibility is as important as surgical success for a successful outcome.

• Getting a Blow to the Nose After Nose Surgery

The first weeks after rhinoplasty are the most sensitive period for the nasal structure. In this process, blows to the nose can cause damage to the newly shaped tissues and unwanted deformations. For example; Due to trauma, bone structures may shift, stitches may open or edema may increase. Especially wearing glasses, intense sports or uncontrolled movements in pediatric patients increase this risk. Therefore, the nose should be protected from possible impacts for at least 4-6 weeks after the operation and situations requiring physical contact should be avoided.

• Unrealistic Expectations

Many people who want to have rhinoplasty may apply to the surgeon thinking that their facial features will completely change with rhinoplasty or that they can have the nose of a famous person. However, each individual’s facial structure, skin thickness and nasal anatomy are different. Therefore, unrealistic expectations may lead to disappointment after surgery. For this reason, no matter how successful the surgeon performs an operation, the result may not be satisfactory if the patient has not set his expectations on a realistic basis. Therefore, establishing an open and honest communication with the surgeon before the operation, setting realistic goals and understanding that the results will be evaluated in accordance with the anatomy of the person is the key to satisfaction.

Consequences of a Failed Rhinoplasty

As with any operation, there are certain consequences of a failed primary rhinoplasty. These consequences can cause both physical and mental distress. These consequences are as follows;

• Visual deformations such as asymmetry, falling of the tip of the nose, collapse or curvature of the nasal dorsum may occur.
• Interventions made with aesthetic concerns can narrow the intranasal air channels and cause respiratory problems.
• As a result of improper positioning of the septum or damage to the intranasal tissues, a constant feeling of congestion may occur.
• If excessive tissue is removed or insufficient soft tissue is left, some parts of the nose may feel stiff.
• Skin thinning, vascularization or color differences may occur due to the surgical techniques applied.
• In surgeries performed with open technique, scars that do not heal or remain prominent may occur.
• Loss of self-confidence, stress, frustration and an increase in aesthetic concerns may be observed.
• Dissatisfaction with the appearance of the nose may cause the person to avoid social environments.

The Solution for Failed Rhinoplasty

The most effective solution after a failed rhinoplasty is to identify the source of the problem correctly and plan revision rhinoplasty (secondary rhinoplasty) with a professional approach. In this case, this second operation, which is performed to correct the aesthetic or functional problems that occurred in the first surgery, requires a more detailed analysis and advanced surgical techniques. Therefore, it is of great importance to consult an otolaryngology or plastic surgery specialist experienced in revision rhinoplasty. Therefore, the patient’s expectations, current complaints and the structural condition of the nose should be evaluated comprehensively. Then, after the first surgery, it is necessary to wait at least 6 to 12 months for the nose to heal completely. In this way, the tissues settle and the real problems are revealed more clearly. As a result, after the revision nose surgery (secondary rhinoplasty), the patient will have the nose appearance he/she wishes and dreams of in a healthy way.

If you are unhappy with the results of your primary rhinoplasty procedure, you can contact Faceaesthetics’ expert team immediately and experience a perfect revision rhinoplasty in turkey.