Everyone hopes to get a wonderful result from their operation.
Sometimes this is possible. Sometimes it isn’t.
Sometimes the result is good at first, but it deteriorates over time, as we age and as our body changes.
What can be done if the result does not meet our expectations?
Revision surgery or a secondary procedure can be carried out to try and improve things. The best person to do this is usually the surgeon who did the first operation. They know which procedure they used, and which method would be best to correct this. Also, the original surgeon is likely to charge a lower fee for correction than a “new” surgeon.
Sometimes, the surgeon may feel that the result is “as good as it gets”, and that nothing more can be done. Sometimes, the patient doesn’t want to go back to the original surgeon, for whatever reason.
Revising the original operation may just be a small procedure such as neatening the edges or ends of a scar. A secondary procedure may involve redoing the original procedure and is larger than just a small “touch up”.
This type of surgery is often more difficult than doing the original operation for a number of reasons. The operative field is no longer a “blank canvas”. There is scar tissue, and altered anatomy to deal with. More importantly, the patients hopes and desires have been affected by the first procedure not meeting their expectations. This is sometimes harder to correct, even after a satisfactory outcome.
It is important to choose one’s surgeon carefully. Do your research. Ask to see photographs of corrective surgery. Ask to speak to past patients.
The second surgeon may ask you to do things the first surgeon may not have done. Such as to stop smoking, to take adequate time off after the operation and to rest.
