A man who tragically lost his nose after his dog attacked him during a seizure has bravely endured 10 reconstructive surgeries, utilising bones from his ribs. Ben Horne, 34, has battled epilepsy since his teens and a switch in medication led to nocturnal seizures.
In a harrowing incident, his pet Henry, distressed by one such seizure, mauled Ben’s face, tearing away his nose and parts of his mouth and chin. Despite the shock, Ben somehow managed to call an ambulance. He was immediately taken to Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton, for an emergency operation that lasted 10 hours to salvage what they could.
After approximately five years and around 10 surgical procedures, involving rib bones and skin grafts from his arm and forehead, Ben is learning to embrace his new self. By sharing his ordeal, he hopes to support others facing similar challenges.
Ben, from Yeovil, Somerset, said: “During one of my night seizures my dog got scared. In the process he did a lot of damage to my face. My whole house was plastered in blood. I called 999. I couldn’t really talk but I managed to convey I needed an ambulance.
“When I came round a nurse said ‘I’m going to hand you a mirror and it’s going to be a big shock. I couldn’t quite believe the amount of damage. It was heart-breaking. I’m really trying to accept myself. It’s learning to love yourself and the way that you are rather than reflecting on how you used to be.”
Following the incident in November 2019, Ben’s upper lip was left hanging by a thread, a significant portion of his chin was lost, and only the septum bone remained in his nose.
Ben, who works as an aerospace engineer, recalled: “I remember looking in the mirror and I just wished that I hadn’t managed to call an ambulance. I didn’t see how I could live with what happened.”
Opting for reconstruction, Ben underwent an initial procedure in May 2021 – delayed due to the pandemic – at Southmead Hospital, Bristol.
The surgery involved creating a more substantial septum for his nose, but this collapsed after he had to wait until October 2021 for the next operation. They used skin from his left forearm to create the inner part of his nose.
Ben shared: “Both my forearms are tattooed so I had to make a decision over which I preferred. At least I can say I have a tattoo inside my nose.”
In the same operation, they also extracted bones from his ribs and an artery from his forearm to connect this into his neck.
“It was very difficult,” Ben admitted. “I always tried to keep looking forward. I had a tattooed chunk on my face that I had to put makeup on every day.”
Ben underwent another surgery in September 2022, during which a part of the skin from his forehead was taken and draped over the top of tattooed skin. As he described it: “Having the forehead flap – it was huge on my face. They have to leave the skin connected so you have a huge lump hanging over your eyes.”
Midway through his surgeries, Ben opted for private practice. Thankfully, a team of plastic surgeons based in Exeter stepped in. In March 2023, they conducted an operation wherein they took more bone from his hip and cartilage from his rib to fasten it onto his forehead, as the previous donor bone had been infected.
By May 2023, they disconnected the skin of his forehead and have since been fine-tuning the structure of his nose via multiple operations. To facilitate his breathing, He still requires plastic tubes, so the next challenge is to figure out how to remove those without his nasal passage closing up.
While Ben is gradually coming to terms with his altered appearance, he has had to grapple with constant public scrutiny. He said: “It’s very difficult when you see people staring at you for too long.
“They look at you like an object. It was a lot of embarrassment. I liken it to a dream where you are naked in public. You want to hide but you can’t. You can’t change things and what has happened.”
Ben, who had owned Henry for a decade prior to the unfortunate incident, revealed that the dog has since been assessed and happily rehomed with a new family.
Ben is raising funds for the plastic surgery team at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital and Epilepsy Action by participating in two tough mudders and two 50k races.
You can support him here – https://rdhc.enthuse.com/pf/ben-horne
Sarah Carter is a health and wellness expert residing in the UK. With a background in healthcare, she offers evidence-based advice on fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being, promoting healthier living for readers.
