Plastic surgeon or ENT surgeon for rhinoplasty

People often ask whether a nose job should be done by a plastic surgeon or by an ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgeon. Both groups perform rhinoplasty. The label on the door tells you less than you might think.

This guide explains how the specialties overlap, what each brings, and how to judge a surgeon in Albania, where verification takes extra effort.

Do plastic surgeons or ENT surgeons do rhinoplasty?

Both do. Cleveland Clinic says the surgeons who perform rhinoplasty are trained in plastic surgery or facial plastic surgery, and describes its own team as double board-certified in otolaryngology (head and neck surgery) and facial plastic reconstructive surgery (Cleveland Clinic). An article in ENT Today describes rhinoplasty as the most common aesthetic operation otolaryngologists perform (ENT Today).

ASPS, the American plastic surgery society, directs patients to plastic surgeons and recommends raising your questions directly with your plastic surgeon (ASPS). Each society speaks for its own members, so neither is neutral about who is best.

What does an ENT or facial plastic surgeon add?

ENT training covers the inside of the nose and the airway, which matters if you also have trouble breathing. The ENT Today author notes that otolaryngologists and facial plastic surgeons see many patients with breathing problems or injury-related nasal changes, and warns against operations in which function is compromised for appearance: surgeons must “never compromise function for aesthetics.” He describes patients who sought functional repair and ended up with a cosmetic deformity and worse function. It is an opinion piece by an ENT surgeon, so read it as one specialty’s view.

Cleveland Clinic lists breathing problems linked to allergies, a deviated septum, injuries, nasal birth defects and sleep apnoea among reasons for functional nose surgery. If this is you, see breathing problems and a deviated septum and septorhinoplasty.

What does a plastic surgeon add?

Plastic surgeons are one of the two main groups Cleveland Clinic names as trained to perform rhinoplasty. ASPS lists the aesthetic concerns that rhinoplasty can address: nose size relative to the face, bridge width, humps and depressions, tip shape, nostril size or position, and asymmetry. It also notes that surgery for an obstructed airway requires careful evaluation of the nasal structure as it relates to airflow and breathing, which is a reminder that function matters whichever specialty you choose.

So which specialty should you choose?

Choose the surgeon with the right training and the most relevant experience, not a specialty label. The ENT Today article says expertise depends on the surgeon’s ability to apply objectivity to the operation, not on years in practice or number of cases performed. It says further training often comes from courses, fellowships and observing experienced surgeons. It also attributes most poor secondary outcomes to errors of judgement or analysis.

Practical tests that work for either specialty:

What to check	Why it matters
Specialty and training, in writing	Confirms the title is real (see below)
Number of rhinoplasties per year, and of your type	Experience with your kind of nose
Airway examination before surgery	Cosmetic change should not hurt breathing
Healed photographs, one year or more	Early photos hide swelling and settling
Who actually operates	Consultant, visiting surgeon and clinic owner may differ
Revision policy in writing	What happens if the result is not right

What is different in Albania?

In Albania the main difficulty is confirming who the surgeon is. Our research in October 2026 found no public online register of licensed clinics or doctors. Verification has to go through the business register and written confirmation from the Order of Physicians. Several nose surgeons working in Tirana appear to be visiting from Turkey or Italy, and some clinics market large numbers of surgeons without naming them. Some businesses advertising nose surgery are run by doctors from other fields, such as an anaesthesiologist or a dermatologist. Always ask who will hold the scalpel. See how to verify a surgeon and our methodology.

Public hospital ENT departments in Albania list septoplasty, but we did not find them offering cosmetic rhinoplasty. If you want functional surgery for breathing, a public ENT service may be an option worth asking about, though we have not audited them.

What about a surgeon’s other qualifications?

Training certificates and society memberships are only a start. Ask for the specialty and the country where the surgeon trained, and what proof exists. A membership in an international society can be checked on that society’s own website. A clinic’s claim of “20 surgeons” is not evidence that the surgeon you meet is qualified for your nose.

How does this affect risk?

Choosing carefully reduces some risks but cannot remove them. ASPS lists anaesthesia risks, changes in skin sensation, difficulty breathing, infection, septal perforation, poor wound healing or scarring, skin discolouration and swelling, an unsatisfactory appearance and revision surgery. Cleveland Clinic says about 15% of patients need a revision to make small changes. See risks and complications.

What should you ask at the consultation?

Ask what the surgeon’s specialty is and where they trained, who will operate, how many noses like yours they have done, how they will assess your airway, and what happens if you need a revision. Use questions to ask a clinic as a list. If the answers are vague, the surgeon or the clinic may not be right for you.

Next steps

Read how to verify a surgeon, then how to choose a clinic.