Broken Nose
Introduction
Having a broken nose can change both the appearance and the function of your nose significantly. Before breaking your nose, you may not have noticed your nose and may have been able to breathe through your nose well. After breaking your nose, you may feel that your nose is more prominent or bent, and you can’t breathe through either on either one or both sides.
Aesthetic changes
The change in appearance that a broken nose creates can be both varied and significant. Bends in the nose may now be present which weren’t previously apparent. Your nose may look flat or have an unsightly hump on it. Twists in the tip of the nose may also present themselves.
Functional changes
Breathing through the nose can be affected significantly because the septum (cartilage in the middle of the nose separating the left and right nostrils) is now bent and the nasal valve (area on the side wall of the nose just above the nostril) might now collapse when you are breathing or when you are asleep.
Treatment
The best method of fixing a broken nose is a functional rhinoplasty. The cosmetic changes of the broken nose can also be addressed at the same time. The procedure varies significantly for each patient but in general, involves:
- Combination osteotomies (nasal bone fractures).
- Septoplasty (straighten septum).
- Cartilage harvest for grafting – if your nose is severely broken you may need a rib graft.
- Bilateral turbinoplasty (reducing scrolls of tissue inside the nose which can contribute to your blocked nose).
- Structural support grafts to the upper half of the nose.
- Structural support grafts to the tip of the nose.
- Redefining of the tip of the nose.
- Structural support grafts to the side walls of the nose.
Dr Robinson performs research in rhinoplasty. He has presented all his data on patients who had undergone cosmetic and functional rhinoplasty. This research was presented at the Australian ENT Society meeting and demonstrated that 98% of patients were happy with how their nose looked after they had a rhinoplasty with Dr Dan.
Dr Robinson has had advanced fellowship training in rhinoplasty and has performed over 1500 rhinoplasties. He understands that fixing a broken nose is a procedure that needs to be tailored to the individual.
Gallery
You can view before and after patient photos of Broken Nose in the Male Rhinoplasty Gallery.
Related Information
To discuss fixing your broken nose, please make an appointment with Dr Dan Robinson.
