Quick Facts About Rhinoplasty After Nasal Injury

Rhinoplasty surgery isn’t always reserved for patients who wish to make cosmetic changes to their noses. More often than you might think, rhinoplasty is performed to repair or reconstruct nasal damage after an injury or trauma. Such incidents can permanently change the shape and contour of the nose, affect your ability to breathe, and leave behind many unwanted changes to your nasal structure. Rhinoplasty surgery is designed to repair nasal trauma of a cosmetic nature as well as a functional one. If you have suffered damage to your nose, either recently or in the distant past, consult with a reputable rhinoplasty surgeon to solve your resulting injuries.

Common Nasal Injuries

No two injuries sustained by the nose will look the same, feel the same, or cause the same damage. When nasal trauma does occur, each case is handled individually to address the unique needs of the patient and the situation. Nasal injuries come in many forms, the most common of which include:

• Breakage. When bones or cartilage in the nose have been broken, most patients will experience immediate pain and swelling, with severe bruising to follow. If left untreated, the nose may heal crooked or a hump may form.

• Airway restrictions or blockages. Sometimes, nasal damage can affect the interior, functional part of the nose. Changes made to the airway from injury can cause breathing problems, sinus problems, and even some forms of sleep apnea.

• Repeated damage. Athletes are most often the recipients of this type of damage, especially if their sport puts their nose in harm’s way time and time again. This type of trauma can also occur in victims of repeated domestic violence.

• Blood clots. Injury may lead to the formation of a blood clot, which may come to rest behind the septum, a cartilage flap that separates the airways. If untreated, this clot can perforate or collapse the area, causing a deformity called saddle nose.

Much of the damage described above can be prevented when patients act quickly following the trauma and schedule a rhinoplasty within a few days or weeks. If your nose has been damaged for a substantial amount of time, reversal of crookedness, bumps or humps, and breathing issues is still possible with rhinoplasty. Consult with a plastic surgeon to go over your own injuries and structural problems.

Reasons to Fix Your Nasal Damage

If the nose will heal itself, and you don’t care about a bump, then why have surgery to fix it? Even if your injuries appear to be only cosmetic in nature, there are still many valid medical reasons to seek rhinoplasty following a nasal injury. Beyond the crookedness, many other complications can result from nasal breakage which can only be prevented with the help of a facial plastic surgeon. Your nose can change in size or shape, bumps or humps may form, and your nose may appear bent or oddly shaped. If you have sustained multiple injuries, especially during childhood, the nose may have healed improperly to impair your breathing, leave behind a deviated septum, and cause frequent nasal congestion and sinus infections. Poor healing can also lead to infections inside the nose, surrounding sinus cavities, and facial bones. Nasal damage can also lead to serious, sometimes deadly infections if they are not properly treated in time.

Candidates for Rhinoplasty Repairs

Obviously, the first criteria for having a reparative rhinoplasty procedureis that you have sustained some damage to your nose. If you have recently experienced a blow to the face, accompanied by a swollen, bruised nose, you will likely qualify. Sometimes, it is possible to suffer damage to the nose without knowing it right away, so take any facial injury seriously and seek medical attention. Have your nose evaluated by a trained physician in order to understand the full scope of your injury and what next steps might be necessary, such as rhinoplasty. If you notice any change in your breathing, the appearance of your nose, and the shape of your nose, surgery is likely the best treatment for your situation. Consult with a facial plastic surgeon who is trained in rhinoplasty procedures to discuss all of your options.

About Rhinoplasty Surgery

Simply put, rhinoplasty is a surgical procedure designed to improve the appearance and/or function of the nose. If there is injury involved, the surgery is designed to reverse the effects of that damage. It is most often performed in a plastic surgeon’s office-based facility, lasting one to two hours on average and using general anesthesia or a combination of local anesthesia with sedation. Your surgeon may opt to place all of your incisions inside the nostrils for a closed rhinoplasty or add one small incision underneath the tip of the nose in an open rhinoplasty. The method chosen will vary depending on your surgical needs and the surgeon’s plan to address them.

During the surgery, the surgeon will lift the skin of the nose in order to access the underlying bone and cartilage, which he or she will sculpt into the desired shape. If you are reversing damage from an injury, your surgeon will strive to reverse the damage and restore the original contour of your nose. The skin will then be redraped over the new nose and your incisions will be closed.

After Your Rhinoplasty

Following the procedure, your surgeon will place a splint and other supports over the nose to help set the new formation and protect it from harm. Patients typically experience some mild discomfort for the first couple of days after rhinoplasty, which can be managed with pain medication as prescribed. Your surgeon may also prescribe antibiotics, saline nose spray, or other medications for this important recovery period. Your splint and stitches are often removed about one week following surgery, at which time you may also notice your bruising start to fade. Swelling around the nose is also common but can take a little longer to completely subside, sometimes lasting a few months. Most patients are able to work after one to two weeks of recovery time, but certain activities may be prohibited for slightly longer than that to allow for complete healing of your nose.

Finding the Right Rhinoplasty Surgeon

Reversing damage done to your nose should be taken seriously and only entrusted to the right hands. Consult with a recognized expert in facial plastic surgery to guarantee the best results of your rhinoplasty surgery.Dr. Andrew Frankel is board certified in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, as well as Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (Ear Nose and Throat). He is exceptionally experienced in the field of nasal surgery and has been recognized for his research regarding vasculature to the nose and rhinoplasty’s effect on it. Schedule your appointment today with a world-renowned facial plastic surgeon to guarantee your best rhinoplasty results. Contact Dr. Frankel’s office, located at 201 Lasky Drive in Beverly Hills, CA, by calling (310) 552-2173.