Sports injuries, falls, and other trauma can result in fractures of the bones of the face. The nose is one of the most common of these injuries, therefore broken noses are a very common condition treated at Bellingham Ear, Nose, and Throat. Other facial fractures we see are fractures around the eye (orbital fractures), cheek (zygomatic or tripod fractures), and forehead (frontal bone and frontal sinus fractures).
Most of these injuries are diagnosed with a CT scan of the face, but often a nasal bone fracture can be evaluated without an X-ray or CT scan. Unless the injury is very severe or involving other structures in the face (such as the eye muscles), we typically will wait to evaluate the fractures once the swelling has reduced – around 4 to 6 days after the trauma.
Some injuries of the face, even fractures of bones, can be treated without surgery. For those that do require intervention, the options are in-office treatment or surgery in the operating room. While many nasal fractures can be repaired in the office, most facial bone injuries will require a general anesthetic.
The goals of facial trauma repair are to restore function and symmetry of the face. Using facial plastic surgical techniques and approaches, the surgeons at Bellingham Ear, Nose, and Throat will give you the best chance at regaining your pre-injury appearance.