Is It Possible to Fix One Side of a Broken Nose?

Hello,

Following a broken nose, there is a window of time of about one week where you can have a closed nasal reduction performed.   You can fix one side of the nose.  However, if you wait too long, it may be necessary to perform additional surgery depending on the nature of the injury and how it is affecting the overall structure and function of your nose. In regard to revisions, there is no predetermined amount of surgeries that an individual can have performed. It is best to have the surgery performed correctly the first time to reduce the chances of a revision being necessary. Each subsequent procedure becomes more difficult due to scar tissue, three-dimensional healing, and shrink wrappage of the skin.  Thank you and I hope this helps.

Dr. Nassif


 

Correcting a broken nose can be a simple or complex procedure depending upon the degree of injury. Typically if one bone is pushed in the other is usually pushed out and both need to be set into the middle. This is not always the case and sometimes just one bone can be put back into position. There is no restriction on the absolute number of rhinoplasties to answer your second question.

If there truly is a fracture on one side of your nose, then you may be able to have only that side fixed. Consider seeking the advice of a specialist before the fracture heals. In the initial period (preferably within 10 days) following a nasal injury, a nasal fracture may be reduced without surgery. For an older injury that is already healed, the surgical approach may be more complicated. Regarding your second question, there is no official hard and fast rule as to a maximum number of times one can undergo rhinoplasty. However, it is well accepted that each subsequent rhinoplasty entails a greater degree of uncertainty, longer duration of swelling, unpredictable healing, among other issues. Good luck.