What are my treatment options within 2 weeks of nasal fracture?
Dr. Hamilton will evaluate the nose immediately after the injury and at five days. At this time the swelling has subsided significantly and Dr. Hamilton can get a more accurate picture of how your nose originally looked. If your nose is broken but not out of position, you may need no treatment at all. Simply rest and avoiding further trauma may be all that is needed. If your nose needs to be repositioned, the bones are mobile and easily repositioned at this point. Reduction of the fracture is performed in the operating room under general anesthesia, which yields the best results. In rare cases simple fractures can be repositioned in the office under local anesthesia with a mild sedative. A cast is placed outside the nose in both cases and removed in 5 days.
What if I need surgery but it has been more than 2 weeks?
If more than two weeks have passed since the time of your initial injury, you may need to wait before having your nose straightened. This would be considered a late repair. After 2-3 weeks the nasal bones are very difficult to manipulate as they have started to heal. In this case delayed repair maybe the best option in three to six months with a formal rhinoplasty. They best option is to be seen immediately after any facial fractures
