My nose is visibly off center. What can I do to get it fixed?

Hello and thank you for your question.  The
best advice you can receive is from an in-person consultation.   Make sure you specifically
look at before and after pictures of real patients who have had this
surgery performed by your surgeon and evaluate their results.   The
most important aspect is to find a surgeon you are comfortable with. I
recommend that you seek consultation with a qualified board-certified plastic surgeon
who can evaluate you in person.
Best wishes and good luck.
Richard G. Reish, M.D.
Harvard-trained plastic surgeon

A rhinoplasty can be done to correct both your nasal and septal deviation. This will give you a much better airway and a straighter nose.  Choose a very experienced rhinoplasty surgeon who does natural noses.  

Sounds like you are suffering from a septal dislocation/fracture that may have also occurred during that trauma 5 years ago.  As others have noted, getting the nose perfectly straight is difficult, however, making it straighter and improving on your breathing is something that is certainly plausible.  I suggest you consult with someone experienced in rhinoplasty and airway reconstruction as a simple septoplasty is unlikely to help you with your troubles.  Best of luck! 

Lilly,

Tilted noses can be a major challenge to surgeons and patients alike. It is difficult to get them completely straight, but straightER is definitely possible. From the story you give it sounds like you have a very deviated septum as well. I would approach this with a definitive procedure addressing the septum and the nasal skeleton to get optimal final results.  You need to have a complete consultation by a facial plastic surgeon who is skilled in nasal airway surgery and cosmetic rhinoplasty. 

Thanks for your question. It's difficult to say for sure the best course of action without an in-person consultation, but it is safe to say that rhinoplasty, perhaps combined with septoplasty, can resolve some of your breathing issues and align your nose without dramatically changing its appearance. It's important to consult with a board-certified plastic surgeon — ideally, one with extensive experience in facial rejuvenation. During your consultation, the surgeon will physically examine your nose and talk you through your various options for improvement. Best of luck to you.

A rhinoplasty procedure can accomplish straightening a crooked nose which accomplishes making the off-center nose much more straight.  To accomplish this requires osteotomies placed in the nasal bones to straighten them, a spreader graft placed underneath the concave upper lateral cartilage in the midportion of the nose, and a tip rhinoplasty to straighten the nasal tip.  In addition, a thorough internal examination of the nose is required to determine what is causing the nasal obstruction which can be from a deviated septum.  A septoplasty can be performed at the same time if needed for airflow improvement.  A rhinoplasty procedure can accomplish simply straightening the nose without making any other cosmetic alterations to it.  For more information,  many before and after examples of crooked nose repair in our practice, please see the link and the video below 

The internal and external
nasal areas that you described and would like improved can be addressed with a
nasal surgery (rhinoplasty) and a septoplasty which are typically done at the
same time. A natural appearing nose can be achieved when the procedures are
performed by an artistic plastic surgeon with extensive experience in nasal
surgery.

Keep in mind that following
the advice from a surgeon on this or any other website who proposes to tell you
what to do without seeing photos and more importantly without examining you,
physically feeling the tissue, assessing your desired outcome, taking a full
medical history, and discussing the pros and cons of each operative procedure
would not be in your best interest. I would suggest you find a plastic surgeon certified
by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and ideally a member of the American
Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) or facial plastic surgeon
(otolaryngologist) that you trust and are comfortable with. You should discuss
your concerns with that surgeon in person.

Robert Singer, MD FACS

La Jolla, California

Your nose can be straightened and your breathing obstruction corrected. I can't explain your pain but the cause may be obvious when you are examined. At that time you can discuss what other changes you do or don't want.