Is It Necessary to Break the Nose to Fix Small Bump?

One of the most common reasons that patients seek rhinoplasty consultations is to learn about dorsal hump reduction. A dorsal hump is comprised of bone and cartilage. To remove the hump, the rhinoplasty surgeon files down the bone and trims the cartilage to the appropriate height to give the profile the desired contour. For an experienced rhinoplasty surgeon, this is a very straightforward procedure. For large humps it is necessary to surgically break the nasal bones (called osteotomies) to close a gap on the top of the bridge (an "open roof" deformity) that results when the hump is removed. However, this is something that needs to be evaluated on a case by case basis.
It is possible to correct one isolated problem -- such a a dorsal hump -- without having to change or disrupt other parts of the nose. The goal of any rhinoplasty is to produce a nose that looks natural and functions well.
To get a better understanding of what your nose would look like after surgery, your prospective rhinoplasty surgeon should be able to show you before and after computer simulations. Many rhinoplasty surgeons use computer imaging, and recently 3D rhinoplasty imaging has become available. This allows patients to preview how their nose might look after surgery from any angle.

Hi Sim,
Whether to perform osteotomies (cutting the nasal bones) or not depends on many factors, including the width of your nose, and what else is being addressed. A small dorsal nasal hump can be removed without always having to "break the bones" (see web reference below).
What is most important is you communicating with your rhinoplasty what bothers you, and what final result you would be satisfied with. Then it is up to your surgeon to let you know if that can be achieved, and what it would entail.
Get a few opinions, but choose your surgeon most carefully, not necessarily based on whether your bones will be broken or not.
Good luck and be well.
Dr. P

Even if the nose has a small bump the dorsum has to be chiselled and then it leaves a broad base. To make that narrow the lateral bones have to be broken and pushed together.
It might seem an overkill but it is the only way to do it. Some times a very minor hump can be rasped down but only if it is 1 to 2mm.
Regards

Thank you for your question.It is possible to remove the bump on top of your nose without breaking your nose.  This requires reducing the bone and cartilage on the top of the nose in order to remove the bump.  However, it is important to note that if the bump is more than just a very small one, by reducing the bump on the top of the nose you require the bones along the side to be broken.



The reason for this is that once the top of the nose has been reduced it leaves an opening where the bones no longer join because the top of the nose has been taken off.  This is sort of like taking the off the top of the peak of a tent.  With this open roof deformity, breaking the bones is necessary in order to restore the top of the nose.

"Breaking the nose" is technically called an osteotomy. This is a small part of a rhinoplasty used to narrow the nasal bones if the nose is wide or if a bump is taken down leaving a gap between the bones. The he video animation attached explains this part of rhinoplasty well. 

In most rhinoplasties, the nasal bones have to be broken or reset narrower after the bump is removed. A very small bump can be shaved down; however, it can leave the nose with a flattop open roof appearance, which is not natural. In the majority of cases, the nasal bones do need to be broken in a rhinoplasty when a hump is removed. Only a preexisting very narrow nasal bony vault would not require breaking the nasal bones.

Sim,
Removal of a small nasal hump may or may not need infracturing (breaking) of the nasal bones. It depends on the width and thickness of your bones, and the size of the hump. Sometimes I tell my patients that I will not know for sure until I actually remove the bump. Breaking the bones does cause more swelling and bruising, but the result is usually worth it when it is required. Good luck!

The need to 'break' the nasal bones with hump removal depends on how large teh hump is and how much of a change you want. I think it is best to work out the desired changes to the nose and the final appearance before surgery by computer simulation. That's the only way to answer your question.

When a person undegoes rhinoplasty and has a small dorsal hump or bump, usually it is required to in-fracture the bones so that the top of the nose does not appear to flat and wide.  However, with small bumps, it may only require a little shaving down.

One of the most common questions in rhinoplasty is whether or not the nose will be broken to adjust the nasal shape. Patients tend to apply horrific images of this very common step, though most often the thin nasal bones are cut or perforated gently and molded into shape by pressure, and held by the nasal tapes and splint. Most often the break or cut is a 'green-stick' in nature and done in such a manner as to produce as little swelling or bruise as possible. As surgeons, we call these cuts osteotomies and there are several ways that they can be made depending on what is needed for the final nasal shape. The cut in the bone may be required in some patients quite independent of the hump present. Yes, after reducing a small hump it is not always necessary to 'break' the bone, however it may produce just the right shape to the bridge to make it all worthwhile.Best of luck,peterejohnsonmd