Septorhinoplasty

Septorhinoplasty is a single operation that works on two parts of the nose: the septum inside and the shape outside. If you have trouble breathing through your nose and also dislike how it looks, this is the procedure that usually comes up.

This guide explains what it treats, what it can and cannot promise for breathing, and how to compare quotes in Albania.

What is septorhinoplasty?

Septorhinoplasty is septoplasty and rhinoplasty performed together. The septum is the wall of cartilage and bone that divides the inside of the nose into two passages. Septoplasty repairs it, and Cleveland Clinic says septoplasty can be done alongside rhinoplasty (Cleveland Clinic). If the septum is deviated, it can be straightened as part of the operation.

Cleveland Clinic also separates cosmetic rhinoplasty, which improves appearance, from functional rhinoplasty, which restores form and breathing after disease, cancer treatment, trauma or birth defects. Some operations do both.

Who needs a septorhinoplasty?

You may need one if a deviated septum or another structural problem blocks your airway and you also want the outside of the nose changed. Cleveland Clinic’s service page lists breathing problems linked to allergies, a deviated septum, injuries such as a broken nose, nasal birth defects and sleep apnoea among the functional reasons for nose surgery. ASPS adds that surgery for an obstructed airway requires careful evaluation of the nasal structure as it relates to airflow and breathing.

If your septum is straight and your breathing is fine, you may not need the septal part. If your only problem is breathing and you like your nose, septoplasty alone may be enough. A surgeon should examine the inside of your nose before recommending either.

How is it done?

The surgeon corrects the septum and reshapes the nose in the same session, using an open or closed approach. Cleveland Clinic says the septum can be straightened, and that surgeons may use cartilage from your ear and, rarely, rib cartilage as graft material. After surgery, splints and internal tubes may be used to support the nose.

Anaesthesia is general, or local with IV sedation, and rhinoplasty usually takes one to three hours as an outpatient. The septal part can make the operation longer. The approach question is covered in our guides to open rhinoplasty and closed rhinoplasty.

How much will it help my breathing?

It usually helps, but the evidence is limited and results vary. The best information we opened is about septoplasty with or without turbinate surgery, not rhinoplasty. In a 2021 study of 366 patients operated on by one ENT surgeon, obstruction scores improved by about 57% overall, by 62% after septoplasty alone and by 67% after septoplasty with turbinoplasty. Only 25% of septoplasty patients reached a normal postoperative score (Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2021).

The study was not randomised, measured only self-reported scores, and followed patients for 3 to 6 months. It did not study septorhinoplasty. It shows that improvement is typical and that complete relief is not guaranteed. If breathing is your main reason for surgery, ask the surgeon what they expect for your anatomy and how they will measure success.

What is recovery like?

Recovery follows the general rhinoplasty timeline, and you should expect a blocked feeling at first. Cleveland Clinic lists packing removed within 24 to 48 hours, a splint for one to two weeks, work or school after one to two weeks, swelling peaking at four to six weeks, about 90% of swelling gone at three months and final results at about a year. Its service page gives weeks 2 to 4 for most swelling to resolve and 12 to 18 months for the final result. See recovery day by day.

What are the risks?

The risks combine those of septal and nasal surgery. ASPS lists difficulty breathing, septal perforation (a hole in the septum, described as rare, and which may not be fully correctable), infection, changes in skin sensation, poor wound healing or scarring, skin discolouration and swelling, an unsatisfactory appearance and revision surgery. Cleveland Clinic adds nosebleeds, a changed sense of smell and pain, and says about 15% of rhinoplasty patients need a revision for small changes. See risks and complications.

What does it cost in Albania?

Septorhinoplasty typically costs more than primary rhinoplasty. One Tirana private hospital publishes €3,200 to €4,200 for septorhinoplasty, compared with €2,000 to €3,800 for primary rhinoplasty (own site, undated; hotel and flights extra) (price page). Other sources give lower figures for plain rhinoplasty, so treat any range as a starting point. See prices in Albania.

Check whether the quote covers the septal part, grafts, anaesthesia, the hospital stay and follow-up. The cosmetic and functional parts may be priced or reimbursed differently in your home country, so ask your own health service before you travel.

Who chooses the surgeon: plastic surgeon or ENT?

Both specialties operate on the septum and the nose. Cleveland Clinic says its rhinoplasty surgeons are trained in plastic surgery or facial plastic surgery, and its service page says its surgeons are double board-certified in otolaryngology and facial plastic reconstructive surgery. Training matters less than experience with your type of problem. Read plastic surgeon or ENT for how to decide.

Next steps

If a crooked nose is part of your concern, see crooked nose and breathing problems and a deviated septum. Then compare quotes using what a quote should include.