How a Septorhinoplasty Procedure Can Be Done to Help Your Breathing
Most people who visit our Los Angeles cosmetic surgery offices when they have a nose with a large dorsal hump or bulbous or droopy tip, but some also visit us when their nose’s disfigurement affects their health.
A deviated septum occurs when the piece of cartilage and bone that separates the nostrils is off-center, and it often obscures one of the nasal airways. Someone with a deviated septum will feel chronic congestion or breathe through their mouth, which can make exercising and sleeping difficult.
Rhinoplasty is the term for fixing your nose in an aesthetic way. We are one of the only California nose job offices with a double-board certified surgeon that provides the best rhinoplasty results possible. We can give you a new nose that perfectly fits your face.
If you want to undergo surgery to alter your nose, you can fix your breathing issues with a Los Angeles septorhinoplasty procedure. This procedure combines the cosmetic changes of rhinoplasty and the medical changes of septoplasty.
Septorhinoplasty
Septorhinoplasty is done for both cosmetic and functional purposes, as the rhinoplasty and septoplasty procedures can easily be done at the same time. By making an incision on the inside of your nostrils or under the external area below the septum, your surgeon has full access to the center of your nose.
They may remove parts of the cartilage or bone that are broken or bent, and they can then position the bones into a straighter arrangement that will leave both your airways clear. Depending on the severity of your crooked septum, the doctor may need to use an artificial implant to work as a stint. They can also do a bone graft using your own bone. This is so that your septum remains straight in the months and years following your surgery.
That was the functional portion of your surgery, and since you are paying for cosmetic changes, as well, this isn’t the end of your operation.
Your surgeon can improve the appearance of your nose by refining the tip by removing some of the cartilage and/or reshaping it. If you have a hump in your septum, they can also shave it down so that you have a smaller and straighter nose.
Depending on your personal opinion, your surgeon can also inject dermal fillers into the area to help shape it. However, a nose job through fillers is really only done if the patient does not want to undergo surgery. Since you are already on the operating table, you may want to opt for your surgeon to go ahead and do the normal septorhinoplasty procedure.
Septorhinoplasty Cost
Your LA septorhinoplasty procedure may be covered or partially covered by insurance. While rhinoplasty is a cosmetic surgery that isn’t covered by insurance, a septoplasty is for health reasons. Because of the health reasons for your septoplasty, your insurance can cover it.
Getting septorhinoplasty covered by insurance may be an uphill battle. Insurance companies typically cover surgeries that are medically necessary, but breathing is important to your health.
Our LA plastic surgeons recommend that you follow your insurance company’s rules carefully regarding documentation and pre-authorization. They may even ask you to get a second opinion.
Your insurance company will want to see a record that you have breathing issues. Your functional rhinoplasty can be justified through x-rays and other scans that show how your septum is abnormal.
Unlike many plastic surgery offices, our facial plastic surgeons in Los Angeles accept most PPO insurance plans, Medicare, and select HMO’s to keep our services available to more Los Angelenos.
About Westside Face
The plastic surgery specialists of Westside Face emphasize preserving the bone structure and skin vitality that’s unique to each individual patient while making small, but impactful, improvements. This technique allows us to rejuvenate patient’s faces by enacting small and deliberate changes that make a huge difference. Each patient that undergoes cosmetic enhancement at Westside Face can expect:
- Natural-looking changes
- Long-lasting results
- Shortest possible recovery time
Plastic surgery patients often want to return to their everyday life ASAP after a procedure, and our approach allows a speedy recovery. Minimal downtime plays a huge role in client satisfaction.
We have offices in both Santa Monica and Culver City. Visit our Offices page to learn more.
