Septoplasty and rhinoplasty: why one operation, not two

Why one operation and not two

The septum and the external shape of the nose are the same problem seen from two sides, which is why we correct them together. A septum bent to one side pushes the dorsum with it, so straightening the outside without addressing the inside leaves a nose that drifts back over the following year. The reverse is equally true: a septoplasty done alone can weaken support and let the bridge sink. One operation, one anaesthetic, one recovery, and one structure treated as a whole.

The septum is also your graft material

There is a practical reason too: the cartilage taken from a deviated septum is the best graft material available for rebuilding the tip and the internal valve. It is your own tissue, straight, strong and already inside the surgical field. If a septoplasty has been done elsewhere first and the cartilage discarded, a later rhinoplasty may need cartilage from a rib or an ear, which means a second donor site, a longer operation and a scar you did not previously have.

What breathing correction actually involves

Straightening the septum is rarely the whole airway story. We also assess the turbinates, the shelves of tissue on the side wall that swell with allergy, and the internal nasal valve, the narrowest point of the entire airway. Spreader grafts widen that valve while also smoothing the bridge, so one manoeuvre serves both function and appearance. A nose narrowed aggressively for cosmetic reasons without valve support breathes worse afterwards, and that is a complication we see in revision consultations.

Cost, insurance and honest labelling

Septorhinoplasty here is priced as one procedure at €2,900, including general anaesthesia, one night in hospital and the follow-up; the septal work is not a separate line item. We will not write a functional diagnosis you do not have so that an insurer at home pays for cosmetic surgery. That is fraud, and it also destroys your standing if a genuine claim is needed later. If your breathing complaint is real, the examination will document it accurately.

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