Broken Nose Rhinoplasaty – Nose Fracture Treatment

I broke my nose when I was in high school and have always wanted to fix my broken nose”. This is a common request that I get as a plastic surgeon that specializes in rhinoplasty including repair of nasal fracture and nasal airway obstruction.

A broken nose can be unsightly with a crooked looking nose which might have a big bump or a dent, or even being bent to the side.

Repair of nasal fracture involves nasal bone osteotomy which is actually a very controlled technique of re-breaking the nose, followed by straightening the bone, and finally splinting it until it heals straight. Sometimes it is necessary to fill in a dent on the nasal bridge with onlay cartilage graft and/or spreader cartilage graft.

Nose fractures not only involves injury to the nasal bone but also to the nasal septum (cartilage framework) which can result in nasal septal deviation. Deviation of nasal septum can severely impair a person’s ability to breathe through their nose. This makes the evaluation and treatment of nasal fracture complex with the facial plastic surgeon paying attention not only to the appearance of the nose but also the underlying cartilaginous framework of the nose.

To repair a broken and deviated nasal septum plastic surgeons in Beverly Hills usually make an incision inside the nose, on the nasal septum, and remove the crocket part of the septum. This procedure is called a Septoplasty which can be combined with other rhinoplasty techniques to further strengthen and straighten the septum. In these instances a cartilage graft from the septum or ear cartilage is used as a “spreader graft” or “strut graft” to reinforce the weak or deviated septum. A septoplasty is often combined with a Turbinectomy which removes the enlarged inferior nasal turbinate that worsens nasal airway obstruction.

Septoplasty and Inferior Turbinectomy often accompany Rhinoplasty when repairing nasal and septal fracture. Both Open and closed rhinoplasty techniques can both be used for repair of a broken nose.