A broken nose does not always require formal medical treatment; however, attention from a doctor or a board-certified plastic surgeon may be necessary if the fracture has damaged the bones and/or cartilage of your nasal framework. The first step in addressing your nasal break is to have your injuries professionally evaluated. For a mild injury that has not resulted in a crooked or misshapen nose structure, your doctor may simply provide medications and advise you to heal at home.
If your fracture has displaced the bones and/or cartilage of your nose, an in-office manual realignment procedure—wherein your doctor realigns your nose using a splint and special medical instruments—may be enough to treat your injury. That said, a plastic surgeon may need to evaluate your broken nose in cases where:
- The fracture has damaged the septum of your nose
- Your injury has made it difficult to breathe
- Your doctor determines that the break is too severe to be corrected by manual realignment
Depending on the extent of facial trauma sustained, either rhinoplasty or nasal reconstruction can be ideal approaches to repair the nasal framework and reshape your nose. The likelihood of needing a surgical procedure is typically greater if it’s been more than 14 days since your nose was broken.
If you have a nose injury and require attention from a plastic surgeon, Dr. Geoffrey Leber can create a rhinoplasty treatment plan designed to repair damage and restore a natural-looking appearance. Please contact our Scottsdale- and Phoenix-area practice today to schedule a personal or virtual consultation with Dr. Leber.