Dr. Serhan Derin, born in 1982, is a seasoned ENT specialist who graduated from Ankara University School of Medicine. He completed his residency at Kocaeli University in 2010. Dr. Derin is a highly skilled surgeon specializing in functional and cosmetic nose surgeries, including Primary Rhinoplasty, Revision Rhinoplasty, Ethnic Rhinoplasty, Septoplasty, Septorhinoplasty, Nasal Valve Surgery, and Sinus Surgery.
Rhinoplasty is a surgery to correct one’s nose shape, and while doing that surgeons use different techniques and methods for better results. Functional rhinoplasty and septoplasty, or in common language, ENT rhinoplasty is one of them.
ENT rhinoplasty has a broad view of nasal deformities, which is why it is mostly considered when one has breathing issues. You should also know that since ENT nose jobs are related to breathing issues you may even get the surgery for free, covered by your insurance.
Differences between regular nose surgery and ENT nose surgery, who can perform your functional surgery, and the best doctor you can find to correct your breathing issues are all explained here. Now, let’s start with the most anticipated question which is the price of this functional rhinoplasty.
How much does ENT rhinoplasty cost?
The average price for an ENT rhinoplasty may cost around 5,500$ all around the world. Lots of different factors can affect the final price of your surgery. The location of the clinic, the surgical techniques, and even your skin type.
| Countries | The low-end price | The high-end price |
| United States | 4,000$ | 12,000$ |
| United Kingdom | 4,000$ | 10,000$ |
| Canada | 3,500$ | 9,000$ |
| European countries | 2,500$ | 8,500$ |
| Turkey | 2,000$ | 7,500$ |
For now, we talked about the prices, how about the insurance? One should be able to lower the price or if it is one of the eligible procedures, can get it covered by an insurance company, and here is how.
Does insurance cover ENT surgeries?
When your surgery involves correcting sinus-related problems or breathing function of your nose then yes, insurance covers the whole price for your ENT rhinoplasty. However, if there is any cosmetic procedure involved, then you have to pay for that part of the surgery by yourself.
Exceptionally, some of the cosmetic improvements might be to your benefit for better breathing as well, like nasal valve collapse, which is also covered by some insurance companies (1).
Not so often, but in ENT surgeries, ENT doctors correct any breathing impairment for free, while making cosmetic improvements.
How is ENT rhinoplasty different from regular rhinoplasty?
They are not completely different things, ENT rhinoplasty and regular rhinoplasty both are focused on improving the nose either functionally or cosmetically, the difference is the focus.
While performing ENT rhinoplasty, surgeons make an extra effort to achieve a balance between form and function, making changes inside of the nose. The most commonly known surgical procedure of ENT nose surgery is the correction of the nasal septum.
On the other hand, the regular nose job is a broad term generally used for cosmetic reasons, aiming to reshape the external nose features. Most of the time facial plastic surgeons perform regular nose surgeries. So, you might also be wondering which surgeons usually perform ENT nose operations.
Who performs ENT rhinoplasty?
ENT nose job procedure is not specific to one field of the surgeon to perform. Plastic surgeons or maxillofacial surgeons who got additional training can perform the surgery, however, the best matching qualities belong to otolaryngologists, or in other words ENT specialists.
Having a nose job with a doctor who is certified in otolaryngology comes with lots of benefits. They are the experts in ear, nose, and throat-related surgeries, with years of extensive training in head anatomy.
Correction of nasal obstruction and complex restructuring is commonly asked for them. Their approach to surgery is generally aimed to protect the breathing function even if it is for cosmetic surgery.
What are the benefits of ENT rhinoplasty?
Some of the nose surgeries, like closed rhinoplasty and tip plasty, are generally focused on the form but this is not the case for ENT nose job. This functional surgery, performed by ENT specialists, still has a keen eye for cosmetic desires but mostly focuses on function. An ENT nose surgery can easily correct nasal deformities like:
- Broken nose
- Fractured nose
- Crooked nose
- Cleft nose deformity (a nasal birth defect seen in babies)
An ENT rhinoplasty procedure is generally considered a safe procedure, but it does not mean that these intense reconstructive surgeries do not carry risks at all.
Are there any risks of ENT rhinoplasty?
Without exception any nose surgery involves risks. Especially after a vigorous reconstructive surgery, you will have temporary side effects including:
- Mild pain or discomfort
- Swelling and bruising
- Bleeding
- Numbness around the tip.
Some of the serious complications are:
- Infection
- Permanent scarring
- Skin necrosis
- Cosmetically unwanted results like nasal asymmetry.
For your general health and to provide a smoother recovery period, in an ENT nose job surgery, surgeons use an external incision, which is a method to reduce the risks.
You will also be instructed to be careful and attentive with your nasal area for a while after the surgery. There will be healing incision sites. Right after the surgery, a nasal cast is applied. You should rest for a week and avoid strenuous activities for about a month or two.
How to choose the best otolaryngologist for rhinoplasty?
When choosing the best otolaryngologist who performs nose surgeries, there are some credentials you need to know, and the first one is board certification. If your ENT doctor has a board certification from a well-known association like ABPS, that means you can trust the work craft of your doctor decreasing the chances for revision rhinoplasty. There are lots of associations all around the world, here is a link to verify if your doctor is certified from ABPS.
Board certification is a well-known trusted method when choosing an ENT surgeon but it is not enough alone. You also need to check your surgeon’s background and the previous surgery results.
Another thing to consider is the communication skills. During your initial appointment, your surgeon should be able to comfort you about the surgery. They need to give you specific details to avoid risks and use basic language while explaining the surgical procedures.
No surgeon can guarantee excellent rhinoplasty results, but if you like to learn more about your surgeon’s expertise and experience and do not know what to consider during your initial consultation, here you can find all the important questions to ask your surgeon.
References:
(1) Avashia, Yash J et al. “Functional Nasal Surgery.” Plastic and reconstructive surgery vol. 150,2 (2022): 439e-454e. doi:10.1097/PRS.0000000000009290
