Rhinoplasty

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am interested in rhinoplasty surgery. I was in a car accident a few years ago in which I was told I had a very small fracture on my nose. I assume significant scar tissue grew on the fracture which ended up making my nose look crooked and to the side as well as a huge bump on the right side (which just so happens to be the same side that one of my protruding ears sticks out farther than the other making that entire side of my face look lopsided and HIGHLY unsymmetrical) 

A: By your history you had a displaced nasal fracture which made your nose visibly deviated. Scar tissue growth does not make a nose crooked, displaced bone and cartilage fractures do. The indentation of the nasal bones on one side and the bump on the other side is indicative of bilateral nasal fractures and displacement. Unfortunately your facial pictures are not clear enough and with good lighting to really show the nose shape. For now I will assume, at the least, that your rhinoplasty would require breaking and repositioning of the nasal bones. Whether any other parts of the nose may need changes can not be determined from the pictures you sent.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana