Septorhinoplasty: Nose Surgery for Breathing Recovery (2025)

Septorhinoplasty combines two types of surgery: septoplasty and rhinoplasty. A septoplasty restores breathing and helps prevent chronic sinusitis by repairing the septum inside your nose. Rhinoplasty improves the shape, size, and overall appearance of your nose.

It takes time to recover from septorhinoplasty. Though you’ll notice the improvement when the initial swelling goes down, the delicate tissues inside your nose take at least a year to fully heal and reveal the final result of your surgery.

Benefits of Septorhinoplasty

The benefits gained from septorhinoplasty reflect the two procedures. Here's a comparison:

Septoplasty

A septoplasty is a functional procedure because it repairs problems inside the nose that restrict airflow and limit your ability to breathe. The main purpose of septoplasty is to correct a deviated septum. With a deviated septum, the cartilage dividing the two nostrils is crooked or not centered. As a result, it obstructs breathing.

Your surgeon may take care of other issues blocking your breathing while performing a septoplasty. For example, they may remove nasal polyps or reduce the size of enlarged turbinates (bony structures inside the nose).

Rhinoplasty

A rhinoplasty ("nose job") is a cosmetic procedure, which improves the appearance of your nose. During a rhinoplasty, your surgeon may:

• Reshape the nose
• Remove a bump on the bridge
• Eliminate a depression on the bridge
• Reduce or enlarge the size of your nose
• Straighten a crooked nose
• Change the width of the bridge
• Change the size of your nostrils

Benefits

You can expect many benefits from septorhinoplasty. The procedure:

• Takes care of multiple problems with one surgery
• Restores healthy airflow so you can breathe
• Reduces snoring
• Improves sleep quality
• Reduces the risk of sinusitis
• Prevents dry mouth
• Can boost your self-esteem and confidence
• Improves cardiopulmonary function
• Lowers the risk of lung problems
• Restores your ability to exercise

In addition, studies show a direct association between septorhinoplasty and an improvement in exercise tolerance. One study found that septoplasty improves heart function and exercise capacity. Another reported that repairing a deviated septum significantly improved lung capacity, oxygen saturation, blood pressure, and heart rate.

What Happens During Septorhinoplasty?

Here's what to expect before and during septorhinoplasty:

Before the Procedure (Pre-Surgery Consultation)

The first step is meeting with your surgeon. Your surgery may be done by a board-certified plastic surgeon or an otolaryngologist (ear, nose, throat specialist). During the consultation, they examine your nose and learn about the cosmetic changes you want to make. Your surgeon will explain what they can do and what to expect based on your nasal structure.

Then, they explain the surgery and take photos of your nose. Your surgeon fully explains what they do during septorhinoplasty, the potential risks, and what to expect during your recovery.

Your healthcare provider also discusses habits to change before surgery. For example, it's crucial to stop smoking. Smoking increases your risks during surgery and also slows healing afterward.

Surgeons typically use general anesthesia for septorhinoplasty. They may consider other options like local anesthesia and conscious sedation if you need minor adjustments.

Even with general anesthesia, septorhinoplasty is an outpatient procedure. As a result, you go home the same day.

Since this is major surgery, it's essential for you to be in optimal health and not have concerns that make surgery too risky. As a result, your surgeon may ask you to undergo exams and testing to verify you're a good candidate.

During the Procedure

Your surgeon may perform an open or closed septoplasty. Open means they make an incision in the tissue between your two nostrils. In a closed septoplasty, they make the incision inside the nostrils.

Though the open incision will leave a tiny scar, this approach is often needed for complex surgeries requiring significant reshaping.

During a septoplasty procedure, your surgeon gently lifts the membrane covering the septum, placing it to the side so it’s not damaged during surgery. Then, they reshape and reposition the bone and cartilage that makeup the septum and replace the membrane.

Rhinoplasty begins by carefully removing the skin and tissues covering your nose. What happens during the surgery depends on the changes being made. Your surgeon may change the shape of your nose by sculpting the cartilage and bone. They may need to remove tissues or replace them with cartilage taken from another body area.

Recovery

The new septum is temporarily supported by splints. In addition to splints inside the nose, your surgeon may add extra support and protection with splints outside the nose.

Your surgeon may pack your nose with a soft gauze. Packing supports the delicate tissues, prevents bleeding, and helps reduce the risk of scar tissue. In most cases, the packing dissolves but if your surgeon uses non-dissolvable gauze, they remove it during your post-surgery office visit.

You should expect to have an aching nose and possibly a headache for a few days. You'll also have bruising around your eyes that should disappear in seven to 10 days. It takes several weeks for the external swelling to improve. During this time, it’s difficult or impossible to breathe through your nose.

You'll need to do the following for one to two weeks:

• Sleep with your head elevated.
• Use a saline nasal spray.
• Take oral antibiotics.
• Don’t take aspirin or NSAIDs like ibuprofen and naproxen as they increase the risk of bleeding.
• Don't blow your nose.
• Avoid chewing hard objects (like ice, nuts, hard candies, or pencils and pens).
• Don't bend at the waist or lift heavy objects.
• Avoid strenuous activities including jogging and exercises that boost your heart rate.
• Avoid contact sports (until your surgeon clears you to return to athletics).
• Prevent sun exposure and use an SPF 30 or higher sunblock (for up to one year).
• Avoid air travel.
• Avoid swimming.

Your surgeon will give you specific self-care instructions explaining other steps to take and details like how long to sleep with your head elevated and use nasal spray.

Most people return to work in a week or two. You won't feel like making a public appearance until the splints are removed and the swelling improves. It also helps to avoid people so you don't catch a cold or the flu after your surgery.

Though visible swelling improves in several weeks, it takes one to two years for the tissues inside your nose to heal. While the tissues heal, the shape of your nose will gradually change.

Possible Complications

Every type of surgery carries the risk of complications. You may experience the following after having septorhinoplasty:

• Anesthesia risks (like heart and lung problems)
• Infection
• Excessive bleeding
• Poor healing
• Change in skin sensation
• Decrease in sense of smell
• Persistent symptoms
• Septal hematoma (collection of blood in the septum)
• Septal perforation (hole in the septum)
• Temporary numbness in the upper gum or teeth

You may be unhappy with the change in the appearance of your nose. However, your surgeon strives to avoid that problem by devoting extensive time to learning about your expectations before surgery. They discuss what you want to change and describe what they can realistically accomplish.

Costs and Insurance Coverage

The cost for septorhinoplasty varies widely from several thousand to tens of thousands of dollars. Your cost depends on variables like where your surgery is performed and the extent of the procedure.

Bear in mind that quotes for septorhinoplasty only include the cost of surgery. You'll have additional costs for anesthesia, fees for the operating room, and other services.

Septoplasty is a medically necessary procedure, which means it's typically covered by insurance. By comparison, rhinoplasty is an elective cosmetic procedure. Insurance companies don't cover plastic surgery for cosmetic purposes.

Even with insurance coverage, your cost will vary depending on factors such as:

• Deductible amounts
• Co-pays or coinsurance
• Any non-coveredcosts incurred at the hospital

Check with your insurance provider for more details on your exact coverage.

Summary

Septorhinoplasty is a procedure that includes septoplasty and rhinoplasty. Septoplasty corrects problems like a deviated septum that obstruct your breathing. Rhinoplasty makes cosmetic changes to improve the appearance of your nose.

During a pre-surgery consultation, your surgeon will answer your questions, explain the procedure, and determine if septorhinoplasty is right for you. Full recovery can take a year or longer, but ultimately, you gain benefits like better breathing and sleeping, improved exercise and athletic performance, and a boost in self-esteem.