Is it possible to replace the entire septum without breaking ones nose?

Hello,If it is just a septal perforation, the surgeon would not need to break your bones;  but, it would depend on what other procedures are performed simultaneously with the perforation repair.  Good question about the DNA, but the cartilage is irradiated and left with the structure or scaffolding of the cartilage.  Your cells don't build up an immune response to the cartilage because the surface antigens are wiped "clean".  Best of luck!

teddysurf,Septal perforation repairs can be challenging. The repair may require advanced techniques, especially if the perforation has caused weakness and saddling of your bridge. In your situation, the important feature is the cartilage. The bones are not typically broken. I recently published a paper with Dr. Toriumi and Dr. Cappelle on repairing septal perforations with rib perichondrium (covering on the rib cartilage). Our study found a high success rate when we used the patient's own tissue. Not everyone has the ability to harvest rib. It may be a safety concern for your surgeon. Safety comes first. 

Great questions!

To reconstruct the septum we use irradiated cartilage.  This is cadaver cartilage that has been treated with radiation so all the DNA and living cell that cause rejection are killed off before it is placed into your body.  Because no system is perfect, there is a small small small chance of your body having a reaction to the donor cartilage.  

If you got a test on the cartilage in a year, it would only show the DNA of your skin and mucosa cells that have grown over it.

Best of luck!

Dr. Rodman