Two Doctors Performing a Septoplasty/rhinoplasty?

Hello, and sorry to hear about the injury you experienced. You have brought up an interesting question, and there may not be a right or wrong answer. It is not uncommon to have different surgeons collaborate on a surgery, as there are specialists who excel with certain procedures and techniques. However, many well-trained rhinoplasty specialists also have extensive training in the functional aspects of the nose, and are more than capable of performing septoplasty and turbinate reductions while also making cosmetic improvements to the nose. What it really comes down to is the experience and qualifications of the surgeon you choose. Ideally, your surgeon is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery or the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. You will want to take a look at patient testimonials, before and after photos on the surgeon's website, and the surgeon's office. You also want to ensure that good communication is established between you and your prospective surgeon, and they are responsive to your needs and concerns. After doing a bit of homework, you should have a better idea of which surgeon will best help meet your needs. Thanks and I hope this helps. I wish you the best of luck!

Dear Kayap,

-An experienced rhinoplasty surgeon (either facial plastic or plastic surgeon) will be able to do both portions of the procedure

-I would get a second opinion just to make sure you are comfortable with the surgeon who you are with, this isn't necessarily a bad thing

-In fact, it would take a lot for a plastic surgeon to point these things out and bring in another colleague to help out.

Best regards,

Nima Shemirani

Any good rhinoplasty surgeon should be equally skilled at addressing BOTH the functional and the cosmetic issues.  This fact is much more important than whether the surgeon is designated as a PS or an ENT.

 

There are plenty of excellent ENTs who can adequately address the internal stuctures to improve breathing but lack the expertise in the cosmetic component. Similarly, there are plenty of excellent PS who are not skilled at addressing the functional part.

 

In my opinion, if a surgeon cant fix both, he or she has no business performing this type of surgery.  You would be wise to steer clear!

Two doctors can in fact perform a single
septorhinoplasty surgery. Or, a single, experienced rhinoplasty surgeon can
perform both surgeries. In the end, it depends on what you want and with who
you feel most comfortable. Whether you want two, distinct surgeons who are
highly specialized and who will each perform one of the two surgeries is your
decision. If you trust a single doctor to perform both the septoplasty and
rhinoplasty surgeries in a single setting, it is also entirely up to you. 

My recommendation is to find an experienced surgeon who is skilled in operating on both the external and internal nose. For those of us who perform functional rhinoplasty on patients with very complex nasal airways, it is difficult to separate the two, as they are intertwined. This is especially true with surgery on the middle vault. I agree with Dr. Cochran that it does not matter if the surgeon is a plastic or facial plastic surgeon; what matters is that they should be proficient in both cosmetic and functional nasal surgery.

Many years ago it was not unusual to have the septum, turbinate done by ENT and the cosmetic portion by plastic surgeon. Today, all well trained facial plastic or PS should be ablel to do both. Most likely your cost would be less if done by the same surgeon.

    I have always performed an outside, cosmetic rhinoplasty and, if necessary, an "inside" septoplasty for breathing problems because of my training as well as my experience. Some plastic surgeons feel more comfortable having an otolaryngologist or ENT surgeon perform the septoplasty part. Since both areas have a bearing on the other, it seems almost illogical to have two surgeons working on the "same" part.

To answer your question: either way is acceptable.  You need to decide based on qualifications and your personal chemistry with the surgeon(s).

Talmage Raine MD FACS

dr@drraine.com

I personally perform septoplasty / rhinoplasty or commonly referred to as septorhinoplasty together on my patients. While I am boarded in ENT and Cosmetic Surgery a good qualified surgeon should perform both and know how to do these procedures together. In the majority of Rhinoplasty surgery I perform I typically address the septum and Turbinates are frequesntly done as well. When the nose is reduced the patient needs to have both perfect function and aesthetics. I have never heard of these procedures being split by two different surgeons. Make sure you go to a surgeon qualified to do both procedures together. I am in Newport Beach and would be happy to see you for a consultation. I do several rhinoplasty procedures per week with excellent results. I also use a digital imaging computer which allows you to see the proposed surgical result prior to the procedure. I have hundreds of photographs of before and afters as well as the imaging picture so the patients can see how close in proximity the final results are to the proposed results.I have patients coming in for recheck appointments daily in all stages of rhinoplasty recovery who are always thrilled to discuss their experience and share their results with my consulting patients. I also always address the functional aspects of the nose with the aesthetic desires. I hope this is helpful. Best regards!