Revision vs Touch-Up Surgery — What's the Difference?

A touch-up is a minor refinement, sometimes anticipated during the original surgical plan — for example, a small scar revision, a fat-graft top-up, or a minor asymmetry correction under local anaesthetic. These are usually short procedures with quick recovery.

A revision is a more substantial second operation performed to correct or improve a previous surgical result — for example, revision rhinoplasty, implant exchange, or capsulectomy. Revisions are more complex than the original operation because they work through altered anatomy and previous scarring.

Whether either is needed depends on how the tissues have healed and how you feel about the result once it has fully settled — usually not before 12 months. Both are always discussed at follow-up before being planned.