If my nose is fractured, is it going under general anesthesia necessary to straighten it?

It depend on the deformity , although minor fractures can be done under local anesthesia but it is safer to reduce the fractured nasal bone fracture under general anesthesia for airway control in the case of bleeding. Best,Ali Totonchi M.D.

Nasal fracture repair is generally performed under general anesthesia with a breathing tube in the windpipe. The breathing tube prevents any blood or saliva from entering the lungs. During repair of the nose fracture, your own secretions like saliva and/or blood can trickle down the throat into the wind pipe and lungs. Hence, the safest way to do the surgery will be under general anesthesia with a breathing tube.RegardsDr. JDisclaimer: This answer is not intended to give a medical opinion and does not substitute for medical advice. The information presented in this posting is for patients’ education only. As always, I encourage you to see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

Any nose can be reduced under local anesthesia, but in my opinion and in my operating room and based on years of experience, twilight anesthesia is the most prudent choice.  I have board-certified anesthesiologists who work in concert with me to get the best and most precise result.  Often, people are afraid of anesthesia without truly understanding it.  Anesthesia has evolved enormously, and patients wake up quickly and seamlessly since medications are now given through an IV line as compared to the gasses that caused nausea, vomiting, and disorientation in the past.  Anesthesia allows for the most precision because it guarantees that the patient will not move.  Imagine, for example, if in the midst of a surgery, a patient sneezed while under only local anesthesia!  While I am operating, all aspects of a patient are monitored:  breathing, blood-pressure, temperature, heart rate etc.  Although it is more costly to have a fully staffed operating room with board-certified anesthesiologists, in my opinion it is absolutely safer for the patient and ensures the conditions for a superior aesthetic outcome.  

It is not at all necessary to undergo general anesthesia to correct a nasal fracture.  If it is arecent fracture, within about two weeks, then it could be done either with local anesthesia or alternatively a light sedation.  I usually recommend a light sedation for the procedure.  If the fracture happened more than a few weeks ago then correcting this is more involved and I would then recommend either sedation or general anesthesia.

Technically, a nasal fracture could be reset without general anesthesia. However, it can be very uncomfortable for patients to have it done in the office and, on occasion, this discomfort can prevent a complete correction. In my practice, I use some tricks to make it much more comfortable in the office, so I do 95% of these under local anesthesia only. However, general anesthesia is still needed in the minority of my patients.Hope you find the solution that works for you.

To reduce the fracture and work on the nose, it is often better to use general anesthesia to control the airway.  Best of luck.

 It is extremely important to have a controlled airway when performing this type of surgery. For patient safety and comfort, would do not recommend IV sedation or local anesthesia.  Patients will not be able to tolerate having their nose re-broken/set under local anesthesia with light sedation. Patients will have conscious awareness and pain with the procedure, so it's best to undergo general anesthesia by a board-certified physician anesthesiologist.

Thank you for your question. Every surgeon has his or her preferences. I find that rhinoplasties and treatment of nasal fractures can easily be done under sedation and local anesthesia. 

Depending on the complexity of your injury and your comfort level there will be several options for your anesthesia.  You could have minimal anesthesia and use only local anesthetic and be awake, or you could have sedation but no breathing tube, or finally you could have general anesthesia.  This decision will be made based on your surgeons recommendation and your comfort levels.  Good Luck

laurabeth17, I prefer general anesthesia for nasal fractures as it allows me to palpate the fracture line better than I could if I need to inject the nose with local anesthetic. That is my preference based on years of experience but it certainly is not a requirement. Hope that helps. Good luck!