Revision Nose Surgery Using the Closed Technique - Can It Be Done?

Yes, in the general plastic surgical arena, many patients are told that revision surgery on the nose can only be done using an open technique in order to get ideal results. This is not true because in the hands of very fine surgeons that have used the closed technique for many years, they often have and can get very successful results using the closed rhinoplasty technique.

What are the advantages of closed versus open technique? The advantages are that the patient goes through much less trauma, much less scar tissue formation, no external scars, and a much faster recovery. It also allows for  further possible revision surgeries without the surgeon having to work through extensive scar tissue, which is produced by open techniques. In fact, many doctors who do open technique only cause tremendous trauma to the nose, which decreases the circulation and, in fact, makes revision nose  surgeries sometimes impossible. A closed technique is a harder technique to learn and, therefore, it is not as widely used because of the extensive learning curve required by the surgeon; however, after having performed hundreds of closed rhinoplasties, a competent surgeon can easily do revision surgeries closed, limiting the downtime, discomfort, and chronic edema and swelling that lasts for months following all open procedures. In addition, a major advantage is avoiding external scars. It is a fact that most plastic surgeons will mention to a patient that an open rhinoplasty technique is the only way to get a good result in a difficult nose. When the plastic surgeon has had extensive experience doing closed rhinoplasty, the end result can be exceptionally pleasing to the patient resulting in little discomfort and a faster recovery period. Testimonials to this fact abound on the Internet when patients realize the extreme benefits to closed procedures versus open rhinoplasty.