A man lost his nose when his dog ripped it off while trying to save him from an attack. But surgeons were able to create a new nose for him using part of his rib.
Ben Horne, 34, had suffered from epilepsy since his teenage years, but after changing his medication he began experiencing night-time seizures.
During one of the attacks, his dog Henry became ‘scared’ and injured his face, ripping off his nose, parts of his mouth and chin.
The injuries were so severe that the aeronautical engineer from Yeovil, Somerset, could barely speak, but he managed to call an ambulance.
Over the past five years he has struggled to adjust to his new appearance and has undergone ten operations to reconstruct his face, using bones from his ribs and skin from his forearm and forehead.
Ben Horne, 34, has suffered from epilepsy since he was 15, but after changing medication he began having seizures at night
Mr. Horne is finally coming to terms with his new face and hopes by sharing his story to help others who are going through similar traumatic experiences.
Mr Horne said: ‘During one of my night-time seizures my dog became startled.
‘He caused a lot of damage to my face.
‘My whole house was covered in blood. I called 999. I couldn’t really talk, but I managed to get across that I needed an ambulance.
When I came to, a nurse said, “I’m going to give you a mirror and it’s going to be a big shock.”
“I couldn’t believe the amount of damage. It was heartbreaking. I’m really trying to accept myself.
“It’s about learning to love yourself and the person you are, instead of dwelling on how you used to be.”
During one episode, his dog Henry got spooked and injured his face, ripping off his nose, and parts of his mouth and chin. He is pictured here before the accident
The aeronautical engineer from Yeovil, Somerset, pictured here before the crash, could barely speak. He managed to call an ambulance.
After the incident in November 2019, Mr Horne’s upper lip drooped, much of his chin was lost and he was left with only his nasal septum.
He was rushed to Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton for a ten-hour emergency operation to reassemble as many parts as possible.
“I remember looking in the mirror and wishing I hadn’t called an ambulance,” Horne said.
“I couldn’t live with what had happened,” he added.
Due to the pandemic, he did not begin reconstructive surgery until May 2021 at Southmead Hospital in Bristol.
After the incident in November 2019, Mr Horne’s upper lip was drooping, he had lost a large portion of his chin and only his nasal septum remained
Due to the pandemic, he did not begin reconstructive surgery until May 2021 at Southmead Hospital in Bristol
The first reconstructive surgery involved creating a larger septum (the middle portion, made of flexible cartilage) for his nose.
However, this went wrong shortly afterwards and he had to wait until October 2021 for the next operation, in which surgeons removed skin from his left forearm to create the inner part of his nose.
Mr Horne said: ‘I have both tattooed forearms so I had to make a decision about which one I liked best.
“At least I can say I have a tattoo on the inside of my nose.”
During the same operation, they also removed bones from his ribs and an artery from his forearm to connect it to his neck.
“I found it very difficult. I always tried to keep looking forward,” he said.
‘A tattooed part of my face that I had to put makeup on every day.’
Surgeons removed skin from his left forearm, which was tattooed, to create the inner part of his nose
During another operation, a section of skin was removed from his forehead and folded over the top of his tattooed skin
In September 2022, he underwent another surgery, in which a section of skin from his forehead was removed and folded over the tattooed skin.
He said, “The forehead patch was a huge part of my face.
“They have to connect the skin together so that there is a big lump hanging in front of your eyes.”
In March 2023, another operation took place to transplant bone from his hip and cartilage from his rib after the previous donor bone became infected.
He still needs plastic tubes to breathe (see photo), so the next step is to find a way to remove them without his nose closing up.
In May 2023, Mr Horne’s forehead skin was detached and since then the team has been performing surgery to work on the structure of his nose.
He still needs plastic tubes to breathe, and the next step is to find a way to remove them without blocking his new nose.
Mr. Horne is starting to accept his new appearance, but he still has trouble with stares.
He said: ‘It’s very difficult when you see people staring at you. I compare it to a dream where you’re naked in public.
“You want to hide, but you can’t. You can’t change the things and what happened.”
Mr Horne’s dog, Henry, who he had for 10 years before the accident, has been rehomed after an assessment and is happily with his new family.
He told MailOnline that he has chosen not to reveal the dog’s breed.
Mr Horne is currently raising money in support of Exeter Plastic Surgery and Epilepsy Action and will be taking part in two Tough Mudder races and two 50km races.