I had a serious road accident that resulted in a badly broken nose. Is it too late for me to consider further surgery?

Your questions answered by our surgeon, Lucian Ion, FRCS(Plast)

Asked on 25 August 2010

Question

When I was 15 (27 years ago now!) I had a serious road accident that resulted in a badly broken nose. I then had two rhinoplasties following the accident to try and correct the position and repair the shattered bone inside, (and also to help with breathing as I could only breathe through one nostril) followed by a third operation in 1994(?) where I was told not much more could be done to straighten the nose.

Since then I have lived with a clearly wonky nose with a visible lump on one side of the bridge. Is it too late for me to consider further surgery?

Answer

It is possible to correct the shape as well as the airway.

Most likely though, it will be necessary to use rib cartilage graft for restoring support to the nose.

Images 2, 8, and 21 from the rhinoplasty before and after gallery are rib cartilage rhinoplasty examples:

Mr Lucian Ion FRCS(Plast)
129 Harley Street
London
W1G 6BA