What Happens for a Broken Nose?

A broken nose will need to be reset through osteotomies of the nasal bones.  The osteotomies consist of fracturing both medial and lateral nasal bones and then a manual resetting of the nasal pyramid back to its normal straight anatomical position.  This is always done under general anesthesia and is usually not very painful in the postoperative period.  Expect bruising and swelling to last 10 days after the procedure and the cast usually stays on the bridge of the nose for 1 week.  The incisions are placed on the inside of the nose and the sutures are dissolvable.

Resetting a broken nose is usually done with a brief anesthesia.

The first couple of weeks or so is the ideal window of opportunity to easily reset the bones before they begin to get more firm. There should be no pain associated with the procedure.  

Setting a broken nose is always done with anesthesia, otherwise it is too painful and the surgeon is not able to do a good job.

Even in the best situation, a subsequent rhinoplasty may be needed. I recommend you keep documentation and X-rays so in the future if you need a secondary procedure, you might be able to have some of the costs covered by your insurance.