Septorhinoplasty is a dual surgical procedure that alters both the appearance and structure of your nose.
This post will outline what septorhinoplasty surgery entails, the risks associated with septorhinoplasty surgery, and other considerations you should think about before going under the knife.
Septorhinoplasty is a nose surgery with a dual purpose. It improves the airflow in the nasal structure by fixing a medical condition called deviated septum which obstructs the airways. It also changes the appearance of the nose by improving any cosmetic imperfections to the nose.
Essentially, the surgeon performs two different nose surgeries during the same procedure.
The first one is a nose job with the medical purpose of treating a deviated septum called septoplasty.
The second one is rhinoplasty, which is a cosmetic nose surgery to change the look of your nose by removing a dorsal hump, reducing the size of a bulbous tip, or straightening a crooked nose, among other imperfections.
Consultation before a septorhinoplasty procedure involves the same elements as a normal rhinoplasty consultation.
Our Consultant Rhinoplasty Surgeon will conduct a thorough examination of your nose while also listening to your concerns and answering any questions you have.
You will discuss the options available to you and set the expectations for the results you can expect from the procedure.
Once you are both satisfied that septorhinoplasty is the right surgery for you, your doctor will cover the surgery in detail and you can set the time of your procedure. You will also receive instructions on how to prepare for your surgery.
Septorhinoplasty is performed under general anesthesia and it is a day case procedure so you are able to leave the hospital on the same day.
The procedure itself takes between 1 to 2 hours, depending on the cosmetic details your surgeon will fix besides the deviated septum.
Whenever possible, we advise the closed rhinoplasty technique. This advanced method involves making internal incisions in the nose that don’t leave external scars.
Among the uses of closed rhinoplasty are removing bumps or humps, sculpting cartilage and bones, treating nose-breaks, operating on deviated septums, removing excess soft tissue, and removing bulbous nose tips.
In some cases, a nasal graft or implant may be needed to fix a more difficult structural issue.
In these instances, open rhinoplasty surgery is performed which involves small incisions made on the outside of your nose. As a result, you can expect a small scar to remain but it will fade and should be barely visible with time.
In either case, your consultant surgeon will adjust the bone and cartilage to address the deviated septum first.
Once the airways are free, your surgeon will move on to performing all the cosmetic changes you have agreed on during your consultation.
On the same day of your surgery, you’ll be able to go home.
It will not be possible for you to drive, so someone will need to accompany you. If you have no one with you, our London team will arrange a complimentary chauffeur ride to your home or hotel.
We will provide you with advice about your recovery and arrange follow-up appointments for your assessment.
The recovery process and timeline after septorhinoplasty are virtually the same as after any other nose job procedure. You can read all the details on our rhinoplasty aftercare page but here are some of the main points:
Any packing placed inside your nose is usually removed the next day. In case of closed surgery, you might not even need this.
Approximately one week after surgery, the surgeon will remove the splint.
Using an extra pillow at night to elevate your head and not blowing your nose will aid in the healing process and relieve the excess fluid.
Following your procedure, you should take a couple of weeks off from work and avoid strenuous activity.
Most of the healing will be done in 4-6 weeks following the procedure but the final result will likely take months to appear.
The results of our past surgeries featured on our rhinoplasty before and after page include septorhinoplasty cases as well.
Remember, septorhinoplasty involves the same cosmetic elements of a rhinoplasty surgery so the aesthetic results will be very similar.
While some clinics might charge you extra for septorhinoplasty, the correction of a deviated septum is included in our regular rhinoplasty package.
Our all-inclusive price is £7950 (as of 2024), which includes the full cost of your surgery including the £100 consultation, pre-assessment, the full procedure and medications, garments, complimentary ride home, and our exceptional aftercare.
Some of the benefits of a septorhinoplasty procedure include:
Just as any other surgery, septorhinoplasty also involves some possible risks to the patient. It is important that you are aware of these before you make the final decision on whether or not this is the right procedure for you.
Our Consultant Rhinoplasty Surgeon supported by our experienced London team will ensure that the utmost care is taken at every step to avoid these complications.
Here is a list of possible issues that have been reported in the past after surgery:
The correction of a deviated septum is only possible with surgery. However, if you don’t have any major cosmetic issues with your nose, you might opt for septoplasty instead of septorhinoplasty.
Since septoplasty is a purely medical procedure, medical insurance is likely to cover the cost of this surgery.
You then have some non-surgical options to correct minor aesthetic imperfections to your nose.
Septorhinoplasty usually takes between 1 to 2 hours. The exact time depends on the type of surgery (open or closed) and the exact aesthetic changes you wish to make on your nose.
An initial period of swelling and bruising is normal after surgery, and the final cosmetic outcome may not be seen for a few months.
Two to three weeks is typically enough for bruising to disappear but this is highly dependant on individual sensitivity.
In some cases, the swelling takes months to go down, but by three months, it will be significantly less noticeable.
Septorhinoplasty is usually not covered by the NHS. While septoplasty for medical reasons is available via the NHS, the involvement of cosmetic elements in septorhinoplasty usually means you need to go private.
Rhinoplasty is nose surgery aimed to change the aesthetic appearance of the nose such as correcting a dorsal hump, a crooked nose, wide nostrils, or a bulbous tip.
Septorhinoplasty involves correcting any of the above-mentioned issues but it also has a medical reason for performing the procedure. This is to fix a deviated septum which usually obstructs the airways and might cause problems during sleeping and other activities.
At Berkeley Square Medical, the cost of fixing a deviated septum is included in the price of our all-inclusive rhinoplasty package.
There might be some clinics where septorhinoplasty costs more than rhinoplasty.