Revision Surgery: When and Why You Might Need a Second Procedure
Many cosmetic surgery patients achieve their desired results with a single procedure. In some cases, patients may benefit from revision surgery to address complications, refine outcomes, or accommodate changing aesthetic goals. Cincinnati plastic surgeon Dr. Mark Mandell-Brown specializes in revision procedures and explains below when revision surgery may be necessary.
Understanding revision surgery
Revision surgery (also known as secondary surgery) refers to any procedure performed to modify, correct, or improve the results of a previous cosmetic operation. A revision procedure can range from minor refinements to comprehensive reconstructive work. The rigor of the surgery plan will be unique to the patient’s existing anatomy and desired outcomes.
Revision surgery requires advanced surgical skills and a deep understanding of how tissues heal and respond to previous interventions.
Common reasons patients seek revision surgery
Undergoing a secondary plastic surgery procedure is typically safe and successful for the majority of patients. The most common reasons patients seek revision surgery include:
Aesthetic refinement
Sometimes patients desire subtle changes to enhance their original results. This might include adjusting implant size in breast augmentation or refining nasal contours after a rhinoplasty. Liposuction post-body contouring procedures is also common to eliminate fat deposits that may form over time and impact results.
Addressing complications
While complications are relatively rare with experienced surgeons, they can occur and may require surgical correction. These might include:
- Asymmetry or irregular healing
- Scar tissue formation
- Functional concerns
- Complications that affect overall results
Natural changes over time
Plastic surgery is often transformative, but it cannot pause time. The aging process, weight fluctuations, or lifestyle changes can affect previous surgical results, and many patients seek revision surgeries to help maintain the results they enjoyed initially. Patients who undergo procedures such as a facelift may eventually need a revision as natural aging continues.
Staged procedures
Some surgeries are intentionally planned as multi-stage procedures to achieve optimal results safely. Gender-affirming plastic surgery procedures are often staged to allow the initial surgical results to settle so that intentional refinements can be made to achieve an ideal outcome.
For procedures like female-to-male (FTM) top surgery, Dr. Mandell-Brown notes that patients often require two stages to obtain a flatter chest and smaller areola:
“I came to Dr. Mandell for a dorsal hump reduction/rhinoplasty. He has great professionalism, and I felt like he took great pride in his work. I cried when my cast came off because it was my dream nose that he made a reality. 10/10 recommend.”
Common Plastic Surgery Revision procedures
Any plastic surgery procedure can be revised; however, there are revision procedures that are more common than others.
Revision rhinoplasty
As one of Dr. Mandell-Brown’s areas of expertise, revision rhinoplasty addresses aesthetic and functional concerns from previous nose surgeries. These corrections can be as minor as simply refining the nostril openings using a closed rhinoplasty technique or major adjustments that require an open rhinoplasty technique so that all parts of the nose can be viewed and refined to achieve a better outcome. In these cases, Dr. Mandell-Brown uses advanced techniques, including cartilage grafting from the septum or ear, to smooth irregularities and build up areas for more refined nasal contours.
Breast implant revision
Dr. Mandell-Brown also specializes in breast implant revision surgery to address various breast augmentation concerns, including:
- Changing implant size or type
- Correcting implant positioning
- Addressing capsular contracture
- Improving aesthetic outcomes
Sometimes a breast lift may be required to improve your breast appearance, particularly if you are downsizing your implants or if you’ve had implants in place for a while. Dr. Mandell-Brown is meticulous in explaining how he can achieve optimal revision results that fit your anatomy and look natural.
Why choose an experienced revision surgeon?
Revision surgery requires a surgeon with specialized expertise and extensive experience. Dr. Mandell-Brown’s triple board certification in Facial Plastic Surgery, Body Cosmetic Surgery, and Head & Neck Surgery provides the comprehensive expertise needed for complex revision cases. With 35 years of experience in cosmetic surgery, he is like an experienced airline pilot—he’s seen just about everything!
Dr Mandell-Brown teaches other cosmetic surgeons liposuction, breast lift and augmentation, breast reduction, as well as facelifts and rhinoplasty. He has taught at LSU, St Louis University, University of San Diego, Wright State (Dayton) and the University of Cincinnati.
He has earned an impressive number of plastic surgery awards, including Cincinnati CityBeat’s “Best Plastic Surgery” award from 2014 to 2025 and Cincinnati’s Best of the Best award for “Best Plastic Surgeon” in Cincinnati from 2021-2024 and counting.
Is revision surgery right for you?
If you’re considering revision surgery, Dr. Mandell-Brown can help you understand your options and develop a personalized treatment plan that addresses your specific concerns and goals.
Schedule a consultation at our Cincinnati plastic surgery center by calling (513) 984-4700. Dr. Mandell-Brown serves patients in the greater Cincinnati, Dayton, and Springboro, Ohio areas and welcomes patients from all over the country to experience specialized revision procedures.
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