Revision Rhinoplasty (with Graft) in Turkey
Revision rhinoplasty in Turkey: correcting a previous nose job with ear or rib cartilage grafts, open approach, 2 hospital nights and 6 hotel nights. When to revise, what can and cannot be fixed, realistic recovery.
Anaesthesia
General anaesthesia
Operation time
3–4.5 hours
Hospital / hotel
2 nights / 6 nights
Stay in Turkey
8 nights (2 hospital + 6 hotel), splint off before you fly
Back to work
Desk work in 10–14 days
Package price
€2,280
What Revision Rhinoplasty involves
Revision rhinoplasty corrects problems left by a previous nose operation: a collapsed or pinched tip, a bridge that was taken down too far (saddle), an "inverted V" where the bones and cartilage no longer meet smoothly, a crooked result, a blocked airway, or simply a shape that does not suit the face. It is a different operation from a first rhinoplasty. Scar tissue changes the way the skin lifts and heals, cartilage that was removed is no longer available, and the surgeon must rebuild support before reshaping.
Rebuilding usually needs cartilage grafts. If the septum still has enough, it is used first. If not — which is common after one or two operations — cartilage is taken from the ear (for small, curved grafts) or from a rib (for straight, strong pieces to rebuild the bridge or the tip support). The choice is made at consultation from your photos, your operation records if you have them, and examination.
What it cannot do: it cannot return the nose to the state before the first operation, it cannot make thick, scarred skin thin, and it rarely produces perfection. The honest aim is a nose that looks natural, breathes well and no longer draws attention. A revision patient who arrives with a specific small list of problems does far better than one who wants a completely different nose.
Scars: Columellar scar (open approach), plus a hidden scar behind the ear or a 3–4 cm line under the right breast if rib cartilage is taken
Who it suits — and who it does not
Good candidates
- ✓At least 12 months since the last nose operation — swelling must be fully settled before the real problem is clear
- ✓A clear, specific complaint: asymmetry, a visible irregularity, a pinched or drooping tip, a collapsed bridge, or breathing that got worse
- ✓Realistic expectations of improvement rather than perfection
- ✓Non-smokers, or able to stop for 4 weeks each side of surgery — scarred skin heals slowly
- ✓Ready to accept a donor-site scar behind the ear or under the breast if grafts are needed
Usually advised against
- –Less than a year after the previous surgery; many concerns at 6 months resolve
- –Three or more previous rhinoplasties with very thin, damaged skin — sometimes the safest advice is not to operate again
- –Body dysmorphic concerns or dissatisfaction with a technically good result
- –Cocaine use, uncontrolled bleeding disorders, isotretinoin in the last 6 months
- –Unwilling to accept a longer, slower recovery than the first time
Techniques and options
Open approach
Almost all revisions use the external (open) approach, through the columella, because the surgeon needs to see exactly what the previous operation left behind. If the columellar scar already exists from an open first operation, it is reused.
Septal cartilage
The first choice for grafts when it remains. After a previous septoplasty there may be little left, and taking more risks weakening the nose. The surgeon assesses this at consultation and by feel during surgery.
Ear (conchal) cartilage
Taken through a small incision behind the ear, leaving the ear shape unchanged. It is curved and slightly soft, ideal for rebuilding the tip and the sides of the nostrils, less suited to a long straight bridge graft.
Rib (costal) cartilage
Taken through a 3–4 cm incision under the right breast crease. It provides strong, straight pieces for rebuilding a collapsed bridge or a tip that has lost its support. Rib cartilage can warp as it heals; carving it symmetrically and using the central portion reduces this. Chest discomfort for 1–2 weeks is the trade-off.
Camouflage and diced cartilage
Small irregularities of the bridge are smoothed with finely diced cartilage wrapped in fascia or with thin cartilage sheets, which blend in under thin skin better than a solid graft.
Airway reconstruction
Spreader grafts reopen a collapsed internal valve; alar batten grafts stiffen a nostril that collapses on breathing in; a re-deviated septum is straightened. Breathing is assessed at every revision consultation, because many previous operations reduced the nose without protecting the airway.
What happens on surgery day
- 1
Assessment before travel: photos from all angles, previous operation notes if available, description of what bothers you. The surgeon decides the graft source and tells you before you book.
- 2
Admission on the morning of surgery after fasting; blood tests, ECG and anaesthetic review.
- 3
Marking and photographs sitting up. If rib cartilage is planned, the chest incision site is marked too.
- 4
General anaesthesia. Graft harvest first (ear or rib), then the nose is opened. Scar tissue is released, the remaining framework assessed, and the plan confirmed against what is found.
- 5
Reconstruction: support is rebuilt (septal extension, spreader, batten or bridge grafts), then shape is refined. This takes longer than a first rhinoplasty — usually three to four hours.
- 6
Internal splints, an external splint and, for a rib harvest, a chest dressing. Two nights in hospital because of the longer anaesthetic and the donor site.
- 7
Discharge to the hotel on day 2 with instructions for both the nose and the donor site.
Recovery timeline
Days 1–3
More swelling and bruising than a first rhinoplasty because of scar-tissue release. Head raised, cold compresses. Chest discomfort when breathing deeply if rib was taken — it is managed with regular painkillers and eases within a week or two.
Days 5–8
Internal splints out, external splint off around day 7, sutures removed from the columella and donor sites. Fit-to-fly check at this visit.
Weeks 2–3
Bruising fades; desk work resumes. The nose looks swollen and firm — expected and slower to settle than the first time. No glasses on the bridge for 8 weeks.
Weeks 6–12
Bridge swelling largely down; tip still firm. Light exercise resumes at 6 weeks, contact sport at 3–4 months. Donor-site scars are red and settle over the following months.
Months 6–12
Shape becomes clear; residual tip swelling continues to go down. Scar tissue softens. Breathing improvements are stable.
Months 12–18
The result is assessed. Because revision noses settle slowly, this is the earliest point to judge whether any further minor touch-up is worth considering.
Results — and their limits
The aim is a natural nose that breathes well and no longer draws the eye — improvement, not perfection. Support that has been rebuilt with grafts is durable and does not collapse again with time.
Scarred skin swells more and for longer; thin skin after multiple operations may show small irregularities that a first-time nose would hide. Diced-cartilage camouflage helps but cannot guarantee a perfectly smooth surface.
Rib grafts can warp slightly in the first year. Modern harvesting and carving reduce this; if a graft shifts noticeably, a minor adjustment is possible after the nose has settled.
Breathing usually improves substantially when the airway is reconstructed. If breathing is your main concern, say so — it changes the operative plan.
When it is final: Slower than a first rhinoplasty: 12–18 months for the tip to settle
Risks and how they are managed
Every operation carries risk. These are the ones that matter for this procedure, and what is done to reduce, spot or treat each.
Bleeding and prolonged swelling
Blood thinners and supplements stopped 2 weeks before; head elevation; the swelling itself is expected and managed with time rather than treatment.
Infection, including of the grafts
Antibiotics for the splint period; grafts are handled carefully and soaked in antibiotic solution. Redness, fever or discharge are reported the same day.
Graft warping, shifting or visibility
Central rib cartilage, symmetric carving, secure fixation and camouflage under thin skin. Adjustable after 12 months if needed.
Skin damage over the tip
A real risk after multiple operations where blood supply is poor. Non-smoking is essential; the surgeon limits how much the skin is thinned.
Persistent asymmetry or irregularity
More common than after a first rhinoplasty. Managed by conservative planning and, if needed, a minor touch-up after full settling.
Donor-site problems
Ear: a small haematoma or a slightly changed contour, rare. Rib: pain for 1–2 weeks, a visible scar, and a very small risk of pleural injury, checked for in theatre.
Numbness of the tip and columella
Expected for months, occasionally longer after revision surgery.
Package and cost
€2,280
One fixed price for the operation and a 8-night stay: 2 hospital nights and 6 hotel nights. No deposit surprises, no add-ons for anaesthesia or medication.
Included
- ✓Consultation with the operating surgeon, review of previous records and photos, breathing assessment
- ✓Pre-operative blood tests, ECG and anaesthetic assessment
- ✓Open revision rhinoplasty including cartilage graft harvest from septum, ear or rib as required, and airway reconstruction where indicated
- ✓2 nights in hospital with nursing care and medication
- ✓6 nights in a 4- or 5-star hotel in Kuşadası
- ✓Private transfers between airport, hospital, clinic and hotel
- ✓Splint and suture removal, donor-site care, fit-to-fly report
- ✓Post-operative medication, saline care kit and 18 months of remote photo follow-up
Not included
- –Flights and travel insurance that covers elective surgery abroad
- –Meals outside the hotel’s breakfast
- –Any later touch-up after 12–18 months, assessed and quoted separately
How to compare this with a quote at home
Ask any clinic for the same list: surgeon and anaesthetist fees, hospital nights, tests, medication, garments or splints, follow-up visits. A cheaper headline price usually excludes several of these. Then add your flights and insurance to our price for a like-for-like comparison.
How to prepare
- 1.Send photos from the front, both profiles and below, plus any records or before/after photos from the previous surgery. Describe exactly what bothers you, in order of importance.
- 2.Wait at least 12 months after the last operation before travelling; if you are unsure whether it is too early, send photos and ask.
- 3.Stop smoking and nicotine at least 4 weeks before and after. This matters more in revision surgery than anywhere else in facial surgery.
- 4.Stop aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, fish oil, vitamin E, ginkgo and St John’s wort 14 days before.
- 5.Arrange 8 nights in Turkey and 2 weeks off work; 3 weeks if rib cartilage is planned and your job is physical.
- 6.Bring front-opening tops and, if rib is planned, a soft bra or loose clothing that does not press on the chest incision.
Aftercare at home
- •Head raised for 2–3 weeks. Saline rinses 3–4 times a day once internal splints are out; no nose blowing for 3 weeks.
- •No glasses on the bridge for 8 weeks — longer than after a first rhinoplasty because rebuilt support is protected.
- •Donor sites: keep dry for 5 days, then normal washing. Silicone gel on the chest scar from week 3 for 3 months.
- •No sun on the nose for 3 months, no contact sport for 4 months.
- •Taping the nose at night for the first 6–8 weeks may be advised to control swelling in scarred skin — your surgeon will tell you.
- •Photos at 1, 3, 6, 12 and 18 months; questions between visits are answered on WhatsApp.
Frequently asked questions
How long should I wait after my first rhinoplasty?
Why does revision cost more than a first rhinoplasty?
Will I have a scar on my chest?
Can you fix my breathing at the same time?
Can I get the nose I had before the first surgery?
How much swelling should I expect?
Is there a chance I will need a third operation?
When can I fly home?
What does the package include?
Often considered alongside
Free assessment
Send your details; a coordinator replies with a surgeon’s opinion and a written plan.