I have a deviated septum which insurance will cover. Will I have to pay for the cosmetic changes to my nose? (photo)

Question

From NYC born with a deviated septum breathing problems & occasional bleeding from one nostril. Insurance covers deviated septum but need rhinoplasty to fix the external look for which I'll have to pay? Want it to be changed to what it would've been if I wasn't born with a deviation. What should I tell the surgeon to get that done? Bent nose, none of my parents have it. Its not in family Tip of my nose a lil skew, when I hold caudal to look normal, the bump is straightened too. So is it that or will I have to get it removed specially, if so will it add to the cost of the rhinoplasty? Outcome according to you? Will caudal straightening lift my nose even a cm that might fix the bump? Surgeon or ENT? What will aprrox. cost of rhinoplasty be? Can I get insurance to pay for both?

Ashlin Alexander, MD · Answer

Thanks for your photos. 
You clearly have a very significant deviation of your caudal septum, and
that is contributing to the crookedness of the tip.  If your main issue is nasal obstruction, then
that ought to be covered by insurance. 
If you wanted more cosmetic things done, like taking down your doral
hump to give you a nice profile and lifting up your tip (which is rotated
downwards, “ptotic”), then there’d be a cosmetic fee as well.  My advice to you would be to visit an
ENT/Facial Plastic Surgeon in your area and get a formal opinion.

And as a point of information, “ENT” stands for “Ear, Nose
and Throat Surgeon”.  ENT doctors are
surgeons (the more formal name for ENT now is “Otolaryngology-Head & Neck
Surgery”).  In fact, the first cosmetic
rhinoplasty performed in the US was by an Otolaryngologist!

Best of luck.

Dr. Alexander

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

In general, external cosmetic changes will not be covered by insurance.Kenneth Hughes, MDLos Angeles, CA

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I have a deviated septum which insurance will cover. Will I have to pay for the cosmetic changes to my nose? (photo)

Answers (2)

RHINOPLASTY PROVIDERS NEAR YOU