What is the cost of Septoplasty?

Hi Nosey,
That's a lot of septum! A reasonable fee for septoplasty alone including operating room and anesthesia (1 1/2 hour) should be less than half of your surgeon's fee, without including the operating room and anesthesiologist. If you have a large septal perforation then the price may be high, but within range of reasonable.
For the price that you were quoted, you can choose a great surgeon, say in Los Angeles, stay in a four star hotel suite in Beverly Hills, and fly onto to Hawaii for a week to test your sense of smell on those Maui orchids before returning home to the chilly confines of Soldier Field, I mean Chicago.
I would get some other opinions in Chicago where there are many very fine septo-rhinoplasty surgeons. Good luck and be well.
Dr. P

Thank you for your question. Prices vary depending on location and surgeon but can vary anywhere from $8,000 and up. I would advise you to schedule a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon for a detailed examination to discuss all possible treatment options and what your expectations are. 

In most cases, physician reimbursement rates are already established for septoplasty procedures that are performed with insurance coverage. That being said, rates for procedures that are not under insurance are totally up to the surgeon. In my practice, I always try to give patients an accurate idea of surgical costs ahead of time. In some cases, the rates are out of my control (such as hospital fees), but surgeon fees are generally established and agreed upon prior to surgery in order to avoid these types of situations. Also, keep in mind that many times the rates that are charged to insurance carriers are above what the surgeon will actually be paid, and this could be the case in this instance.
All the best,

Septoplasty is a commonly performed surgical procedure.Prices for this procedure very widely and
depend on several variables.It’s
important to make sure that your fee quote includes the surgeon’s fee, facility
fee, anesthesia charges and pre and post-operative care.These components may vary widely depending on
the surgeon’s practice.Generally,
surgeons who operate in dedicated outpatient cosmetic surgery facilities are
able to offer lower facility fees than those who operate in hospital based
practices.Anesthesia fees can vary and
this may be related to the use of a nurse anesthetist verses a physician
anesthesiologist.Finally,
the physician’s fee may vary depending on regional differences and local
competition.It’s also important to
understand the surgeon’s revisional surgery policies.Hopefully this won’t be necessary, but
revisions occur for a multitude of reasons.When
all these variables are considered, fees in the Midwestern United States vary
from $4,000 to $5,000.It’s important to
remember that price is an important part of your decision, but it’s not the
only consideration.Make sure your
surgeon is board certified, has a good reputation and experience performing
septoplasty surgery.

Thank you for your question. Septoplasty is a
surgical procedure which generally entails modification of the cartilage of the
nasal septum. It is undertaken to improve symptomatic nasal airway obstruction
when deviation or crookedness of the septum is judged to contribute to those
symptoms. Since this procedure is usually undertaken for functional breathing
reasons, it is usually covered by medical insurance. There is no one price that
can be accurately referenced. Rates of reimbursement vary widely between
insurance companies and policies and are ever-changing. For the most accurate
and updated information, ask you surgeon's office about fees and financial
policies. Good luck to you.

The cost for a procedure can vary depending on the complexity of the procedure, geography where you live, and indivdual pricing for the surgeon.  Typically pricing for a noncomplex septoplasty is significantly lower and can range from $1000-6000, excluding the cost of anesthesia and facility fee.

Thank you for the great question. The unfortunate truth is that, in our current healthcare system, costs and bills are basically a black box. Many surgeons have reacted to this by not accepting insurance, regardless of medical necessity. In my practice, if a patient needs a septoplasty or some other functional nasal surgery, I work with the patient's insurance company for reimbursement. Though I do not accept every insurance plan, this procedure is typically deemed medically necessary and I treat it as such.

Assuming you are having a septoplasty and not a complex nasal valve reconstruction, then $14000 for just the surgeon's fee is quite expensive for a septoplasty.  Septoplasty  is a relatively basic surgery performed routinely by primary level nasal surgeons and can be done in 30-60 minutes. It is usually so simple that revision rhinoplasty specialists like myself rarely see virgin septoplasties in their practice, and when they do, then the case is essentially "a walk in the park" compared to more complex cases.  To spend that much self-pay money on a septoplasty would be unnecessary.  Nasal valve reconstructions however can be much lengthier cases, and costs can vary widely depending on the complexity of the valve reconstruction, so make sure you know what it is being done for your nose, the length of the surgery, and the complexity before you get too involved with looking at the price.  Discuss your concerns with your surgeon.  Hope that helps.

If the surgery is relatively straight forward, without some special problem like a large hole in your septum, it is probably too high. Get 1-2 other opinions.

If the quoted surgeon's fee reflects septoplasty only, then this is certainly on the upper end of the range. In nasal plastic surgery, septoplasty is commonly performed in conjunction with rhinoplasty. For an isolated septoplasty, most US surgeons would charge between $2000 and $6000.
Prices for plastic procedures are surely an important consideration for many patients. They often reflect the experience and overhead of the surgeon and the complexity of the problem.