Hit on Nose and Is Crooked. How Long Will it take to Heal? (photo)

Question

Two weeks ago I hit my nose and it turned a little bit to the right. The doctor put it back and told to wait for five days with some bandages on. After I removed the bandages the swelling was gone and the nose was still turned a little bit to the right. Does it takes more time for the bones to come back to their normal place? Is this possible and if yes how much time and will they heal effectively even if i tried to put them back to their place several times and got my self hurt?

Stefan Mark Szczerba, MD · Answer

Unfortunately I think you need more formal nasal fracture reduction and likely septum reduction also. The reduction you have is not midline and may heal that way. Then if you heal off center you may need septoplasty and rhinoplasty. best wishes!!

Stephen Weber MD, FACS · Answer

It does look like your nose is still deviated to the right side. In the earlier post-op period you can sometimes perform "nasal exercises" to guide the bones back to the middle but there is no guarantee that this will work. I recommend asking your surgeon whether they approve of this before attempting. In the worst case scenario (your nose heals crooked) the bones can be cut and repositioned as soon as six weeks from now. I hope this information is helpful.Stephen Weber MD, FACS

William Portuese, MD · Answer

It sounds like you had a "closed reduction" of your nose bone after the injury. Closed reduction and manual manipulation do not work very well . We have not performed them in over 20 years for this reason. Best to have osteotomies performed on the nasal bones (formal re-breaking in the proper places) under a brief general anesthesia. This is not a a rhinoplasty, and would be submitted to insurance for coverage.

Hit on Nose and Is Crooked. How Long Will it take to Heal? (photo)

Answers (3)