Case Study in Revision Rhinoplasty
S is a beauty pageant contestant and seeking to be a model. She unfortunately had an injury some years ago during cheerleading which led to a broken nose and deviated septum. She had difficulty breathing and did not like the shape of her nose.
She underwent a rhinoplasty by a Chicago based plastic surgeon (not Dr. Shah) to reconstruct her nose. Unfortunately, the surgeon did not fix her septum and used a silicone placed implant inside the nose. Silicone implant is a foreign body and did not react well with her nose. The skin around the implant contracted and made the implant visible highly apparent. In addition, the silicone implant gave her pain upon palpation. Finally, the implant itself looked highly unnatural. It did not look her natural nose and did not photograph well. The patient felt very conscious of her nose and did not like it.
She sought the reconstructive surgeon Dr. Shah who is known to be an insider in the beauty industry. She had a major beauty pageant (Miss USA) in 4 months and needed to look her best. She wanted a nose which reflected her natural shape better and wanted the foreign body of silicone removed. In addition, she wanted to be able to breathe from her nose as this was not addressed and actually became worse with her previous surgery.
Although rib and ear cartilage were discussed as reconstructive options, the patient had a strong preference to not use either if possible. Photographic morphs were discussed with the patient to help guide the aesthetic. The patient relied on her knowledge of beauty with her original nose as inspiration. The patient met with Dr. Shah to communicate her goals and sought Dr. Shah’s expert advice on appropriate changes to complement her features.
Due to the time constraints of having a major event shown on national television, Dr. Shah and staff worked with S to help her look her best in such a short amount of time.
S performed well and received the second runner up for Miss USA which was the highest performance for a Miss Illinois since 1995 who also had a second runner up which is the highest placement of a Miss Illinois for the last 40 years. She recently was voted as one of the five most beautiful girls in the world. While being voted as one of the most beautiful girls in the United States is flattering, being able to breathe from her nose is just as important.
While not every person is competing for a beauty title on a national stage, the example of patient S shows the ingredient of a successful revision rhinoplasty outcome. The first is communication with the surgeon to help him understand your aesthetic. The surgeon must both understand your aesthetic as well as guide the patient through the process to help the patient achieve the best looking result. Secondly, the patient should choose a surgeon with experience in revision rhinoplasty.
Dr. Shah is one of the most experienced rhinoplasty and revision rhinoplasty surgeons in the state of Illinois. In 2012, he performed over 300 rhinoplasty procedures making him the surgeon with one of the highest, if not, the highest number of rhinoplasty procedures in the Midwest and United States. Another important ingredient for a successful revision rhinoplasty is adherence to the surgeon’s pre and post-operative instructions. Although this may require more postoperative visits (the patient had never saw her first surgeon on her postoperative visits with her first 2 rhinoplasty procedures) the surgeon may be able to decrease swelling and help guide the nose to a better outcome.
Dr. Shah and his staff can help patients get ready for their big stage whether or not it is a wedding, photography shoot, or just to get ready to move on with their nose. Finally, the patient must chose a surgeon whose aesthetic mirrors the patient. Fortunately for patient S, her surgeon was relatively close and was within a 40 minute drive to see Dr. Shah. Patients travel all over the world to see Dr. Shah. Patients should find a surgeon who is able to communicate, create, and help them reach a realistic goal of where their nose can look and function.
