Septoplasty and Cosmetic Rhinoplasty Together: Is It Safe?

Your nose sits at the center of your face, and it also does important work: it lets you breathe, and it plays a part in smell and taste. How it works matters as much as how it looks.

Due to the shape and anatomy of their nose, some people experience difficulties with breathing. One common cause of breathing troubles is a deviated septum. A deviated septum leans too far over to one side of the nasal cavity, blocking the passage. A deviated septum doesn’t always need correcting, but when it makes breathing difficult or causes other problems in the nose, surgery is often the answer. 

If surgery is recommended, your surgeon will most likely perform a septoplasty to correct the deviated septum. Septoplasty is a functional type of surgery, meaning it doesn’t change the appearance of the nose. If you hope to improve your nose’s appearance, a cosmetic rhinoplasty may also be recommended. Many people have both done in a single operation, often called a septorhinoplasty.

What Is Septoplasty?

The goal of septoplasty is to improve the flow of air through the nasal passages by repositioning the septum. The septum is the cartilage and bone tissue that runs between the nostrils.

During septoplasty, the surgeon removes or reshapes the bent portions of cartilage and bone and sets the septum back in a straighter position inside the nose. Like other nasal surgery, it takes considerable skill and experience to do well. 

What is Cosmetic Rhinoplasty?

A septoplasty won’t change the way your nose looks from the outside. What it can do is help you breathe more easily. 

If you’re interested in changing something about your nose’s appearance, such as its size, the flare of the nostrils, the position of the tip, or the presence of a bump on the nose, you’ll want to have rhinoplasty performed.

What happens during rhinoplasty depends in large part on your overall goals. Your goals and the extent of the changes you want done to your nose can also determine the type of surgery you’ll have. 

During an open rhinoplasty, the surgeon makes an incision on the outside of the nose, at the base, between the nostrils. Open rhinoplasty provides the surgeon with a better view of the interior of the nose but does leave a small scar after it is finished. 

In a closed, or endonasal, rhinoplasty, all of the incisions are made inside the nose. Access to the interior of the nose is more limited during a closed surgery and any scarring is not visible on the outside of the nose.

Why Combine the Two Surgeries?

While some patients will benefit from a septoplasty on its own and some will benefit from a cosmetic rhinoplasty by itself, many will benefit from a combination of the surgeries. 

For septoplasty patients in Virginia, having both surgeries at once has practical advantages. It can lower the overall cost, because there is one operating room fee and one anesthetic instead of two. 

Combining the two surgeries can also mean a shorter overall recovery time. If you were to have rhinoplasty on its own and septoplasty on its own, you’d most likely need between one and two weeks for the initial recovery from each surgery. Combining them means one recovery instead of two, so you take less total time off work and only pause your regular routine once.

Safety Considerations When Combining Surgeries

All surgeries have some risks, such as complications during or afterward. Combining septoplasty and cosmetic rhinoplasty can actually lower some risks, since you go under anesthesia once and go through one recovery period. 

There are also things you can do to lower the risk of complications further. The most important is to follow your surgeon’s instructions closely. He’ll most likely give you a list of things to avoid before surgery, such as smoking and certain types of herbal or vitamin supplements. He’ll also give you suggestions and advice to help reduce side effects or complications as you heal from the surgeries. 

Choosing a surgeon who specializes in nasal procedures also makes a combined septoplasty and rhinoplasty safer. Dr. Shervin Naderi is a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon and rhinoplasty specialist with more than 20 years of experience and a strong surgical focus on rhinoplasty. He performs both cosmetic and functional nasal surgery and has published on the subject. 

To learn more about the safety and benefits of combining nasal surgeries and to see if septorhinoplasty is the right option for you, contact The Naderi Center today. We have offices in Reston, VA and Chevy Chase, MD, and are also offering virtual consultations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can septoplasty and rhinoplasty be done at the same time?

Yes. When both are done in one operation it is often called a septorhinoplasty. You have one anesthetic and one recovery, and your breathing and the shape of your nose are improved together.

Will a septoplasty change the shape of my nose?

No. Septoplasty straightens the septum inside the nose to improve airflow, so it doesn’t change how your nose looks from the outside. If you also want to change its shape, a cosmetic rhinoplasty can be done at the same time.

How long is recovery after septoplasty and rhinoplasty together?

Combining the surgeries means one recovery instead of two. Most patients take about a week off work, the nasal cast stays on for 5 to 10 days, and exercise waits about a month.

Is it safe to combine septoplasty with cosmetic rhinoplasty?

Combining them means going under anesthesia only once, which can lower some risks. Following your surgeon’s instructions before and after surgery, such as avoiding smoking and certain herbal or vitamin supplements, lowers the risk of complications further.

Will I have a scar after rhinoplasty?

It depends on the approach. An open rhinoplasty uses a small incision across the base of the nose between the nostrils, which leaves a small scar. In a closed rhinoplasty all of the incisions are inside the nose, so no scar is visible.