Will Repairing my Septum Straighten my Nose on the Outside Too?

If the top part of your septum is very crooked, then straightening that area will straighten at least a portion of your nose. However, it appears that you have a crooked dorsum or bony area as well that would require that to be straightened as well. Costs vary from region to region but the additional costs for that part of your nose is about 2500 in the Jacksonville area. I hope this information helps.

Generally speaking, a septoplasty improves the nasal airway and does not affect the appearance of the nose on the outside. A rhinoplasty procedure is designed to change the appearance of the nose. Rhinoplasty procedures are usually considered cosmetic unless there has been a well-documented recent injury. After the first 1-2 years after a nasal injury, most insurers will not reimburse for changing the shape of the nose, as those are then considered cosmetic.The cosmetic portion of the surgery (rhinoplasty) is often going to be a minimum of $5000 - $6000 more than the medically necessary portion (septoplasty).Be sure to find a septorhinoplasty specialist who can adequately address both problems.All the best,

The vast majority of patients who have crooked noses have
suffered nasal trauma.When this
situation arises the nose should be critically evaluated.Not only should nasal aesthetics be evaluated,
but attention should be given to the nasal airway as well.Under these circumstances, the cartilaginous
nasal septum may be deviated with resultant airway obstruction.When a
patient has a crooked nose following nasal trauma, the nasal septum and nasal
bones are usually both involved.In many
cases, patients often develop a dorsal hump as well.Correction of this problem usually requires a
rhinoplasty.If significant deviation of
the nasal septum is present with associated nasal airway obstruction, a
septoplasty is necessary as well.Your
history and pictures suggest that you would benefit from combination
rhinoplasty and septoplasty.The added
cost of a cosmetic rhinoplasty would be about $4,000 to $5,000 more then you’re
currently paying.In
patients with post traumatic nasal deformities with associated functional
impairment, consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon is
appropriate.This surgeon should be able
to address both your aesthetic and functional concerns.

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. In most cases, septoplasty will not change the outside shape of the
nose. If you find your nasal appearance to be unsatisfactory, you may be a
candidate for rhinoplasty. Rhinoplasty is undertaken to improve the shape and/or
size of the nose. Charges for cosmetic rhinoplasty vary widely. For
individualized advice, consult with a qualified nasal surgeon about your
concerns. Good luck to you.

Thank you for the question and the picture. While straightening the septum can improve the breathing function, a traditional septoplasty will not fix a crooked nose. After blunt trauma to the nose, the nose bones and even the tip cartilages can be broken, damaged, or otherwise injured. These external structures are addressed by rhinoplasty (which also addresses the septum). Though this surgery is more comprehensive, it is often at least partially covered by insurance if you have had a facial trauma or injury.

Your nose is crooked likely due to the injury you sustained.  A deviated septum that extends to the dorsum of the nose is contributing to this problem. You also appear to have nasal bone asymmetry and asymmetry of your nasal mid third.  A Septorhinoplasty would be the appropriate procedure to straighten your nose.  Crooked noses can generally be improved.  They are often challenging to perfectly realign.  Prices vary.  Typically you would be expecting to pay an additional 6000 dollars.

A septoplasty is performed to improve airflow through the nose when the septum is deviated. This is billed to the patient’s medical insurance and is done out of medical necessity. Any straightening of the external portion of the nose is considered cosmetic and  patient'sfor this portion themselves. Fixing the septum will not straighten the external portion of the nose. A rhinoplasty will have to be performed to straighten the external portion of the nose. Turbinate surgery may or may not also be performed to help improve the airflow through the nose in addition to the septoplasty.

Hello, Good Badger.

Yes, you have it right. Most likely the injury " broke" the septum internally resulting in the outside crookedness.

In our specialty, there is a great saying: " As the septum goes, so goes the nose".

Fixing it should help breathing problem also. Very common problem.

Best wishes.

Robert Kotler, MD, FACS

Attended University of Wisconsin, Madison.  Vacation every summer in Green Lake, WI at Camp Otis; 9 miles from Ripon.

Repairing and decreasing the deviation of your septum more than likely will still not fix the outside curvature of your nose. For this, you would need a rhinoplasty in addition to the septoplasty. This does increase the cost by several thousand. It should not add to the length of your recovery though except that you would have a splint on your nose and you probably would have more bruising around your eyes.