{"id":582,"date":"2026-06-09T14:47:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T14:47:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/berkaycaytemel.com\/septorhinoplasty-turkey\/"},"modified":"2026-08-27T15:23:10","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T15:23:10","slug":"septorhinoplasty-turkey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/berkaycaytemel.com\/en\/septorhinoplasty-turkey\/","title":{"rendered":"Septorhinoplasty: Breathing and Shape in One Operation"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Quick answer:<\/strong> Septorhinoplasty is two operations in one &mdash; straightening the septum inside the nose to open the airway, and reshaping the outside. One anaesthetic, one recovery, one cost. It matters more than it sounds: the cartilage removed while straightening a deviated septum is usually <strong>exactly the graft material needed to rebuild and support the new nose<\/strong>. The two goals do not compete; done properly each one funds the other.<\/p>\n<h2>Septoplasty, Rhinoplasty or Septorhinoplasty?<\/h2>\n<div class=\"bc-compare\">\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th><\/th>\n<th>Septoplasty<\/th>\n<th>Rhinoplasty<\/th>\n<th>Septorhinoplasty<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Main goal<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Straighten the septum<\/td>\n<td>Reshape the outer nose<\/td>\n<td>Both, in one operation<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Improves breathing<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Yes<\/td>\n<td>Usually not &mdash; can worsen it<\/td>\n<td>Yes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Changes appearance<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>No<\/td>\n<td>Yes<\/td>\n<td>Yes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Typical patient<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Blocked nose, no aesthetic concern<\/td>\n<td>Aesthetic concern, normal breathing<\/td>\n<td>Both together &mdash; the majority<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Graft material<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Not needed<\/td>\n<td>Harvested separately<\/td>\n<td>Comes from the septum being straightened<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p>In practice most people who come for aesthetic surgery have some degree of septal deviation, and many who come for breathing problems also dislike how their nose looks. Septorhinoplasty is not an unusual combination &mdash; it is the common case.<\/p>\n<h2>Do You Have a Deviated Septum? The Symptoms<\/h2>\n<p><strong>For the condition itself<\/strong> &mdash; full symptom list, how obstruction is diagnosed, and what septoplasty alone involves &mdash; see our dedicated guide to <a href=\"\/en\/deviated-septum-septoplasty\/\">deviated septum and septoplasty<\/a>. The summary below covers what matters when you are considering the combined operation.<\/p>\n<p>The septum is the wall of cartilage and bone dividing the two sides of your nose. Almost everyone&rsquo;s is slightly off-centre; it matters when it obstructs airflow. Typical signs:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>One nostril is consistently harder to breathe through<\/strong> than the other &mdash; the single most reliable indicator<\/li>\n<li><strong>Congestion that does not respond<\/strong> to steroid sprays or allergy treatment<\/li>\n<li><strong>Mouth breathing at night<\/strong>, snoring, waking with a dry mouth or sore throat<\/li>\n<li><strong>Disturbed sleep and daytime tiredness<\/strong> without an obvious cause<\/li>\n<li><strong>Recurrent sinus infections<\/strong> or persistent post-nasal drip<\/li>\n<li><strong>Nosebleeds<\/strong> from the same side &mdash; airflow speeds up over the deviation and dries the mucosa<\/li>\n<li><strong>A visibly crooked nose<\/strong> &mdash; external deviation almost always continues inside<\/li>\n<li><strong>Old nasal trauma<\/strong>, even in childhood. Many people do not remember the injury that caused it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>One caveat worth knowing: the nasal cycle alternates congestion between sides every few hours, so noticing one blocked side at night is normal. A deviated septum blocks the <em>same<\/em> side, persistently.<\/p>\n<p>Turbinate enlargement often accompanies a deviation &mdash; the <a href=\"\/en\/nasal-turbinates\/\">turbinate<\/a> on the wider side grows to compensate. This is why treating the septum alone sometimes disappoints, and why both are usually addressed together.<\/p>\n<h2>Why an Aesthetic-Only Rhinoplasty Can Make Breathing Worse<\/h2>\n<p>This is the part patients rarely hear before surgery. Lowering a dorsal hump narrows the middle third of the nose. If the middle vault is not reconstructed &mdash; usually with spreader grafts &mdash; the internal nasal valve narrows with it. The nose looks better and breathes worse, sometimes only becoming obvious a year or two later.<\/p>\n<p>It is one of the more common reasons people eventually need <a href=\"\/en\/revision-rhinoplasty\/\">revision surgery<\/a>, and it is entirely avoidable by assessing the airway before drawing the aesthetic plan rather than after.<\/p>\n<h2>Why an ENT Surgeon Is the Natural Fit<\/h2>\n<p>Septorhinoplasty sits at the intersection of airway surgery and aesthetic surgery. An otolaryngologist spends their entire training operating <em>inside<\/em> the nose &mdash; septum, turbinates, valves, sinuses &mdash; before ever reshaping its outside. In practice that means:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The airway is examined endoscopically and mapped <strong>before<\/strong> the aesthetic plan exists<\/li>\n<li>The structures that carry airflow are protected during reshaping rather than discovered afterwards<\/li>\n<li>Turbinates and valves are treated in the same session rather than becoming a second operation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What the Operation Actually Involves<\/h2>\n<p>Two to three and a half hours under general anaesthesia in a full-service hospital, usually with one overnight stay. In sequence:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>The septum is straightened.<\/strong> Deviated cartilage and bone are corrected or removed &mdash; but a supporting frame is always preserved (the L-shaped strut along the top and front). This is not optional: over-harvesting the septum removes the support the bridge and tip stand on, and is a leading cause of a collapsed, saddle-shaped nose years later.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Harvested cartilage becomes grafts.<\/strong> Spreader grafts to hold the middle vault open, a strut to support the tip, whatever the reconstruction needs.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Turbinates are reduced if needed<\/strong> &mdash; conservatively, preserving the lining. Over-resection here risks <a href=\"\/en\/empty-nose-syndrome\/\">empty nose syndrome<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The external shape is addressed<\/strong> &mdash; hump, dorsal line, tip, base &mdash; on a framework that is now straight and supported.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Silicone splints with airway channels<\/strong> are placed either side of the septum. Not the packed gauze of decades past; you can breathe through them.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Septorhinoplasty Recovery<\/h2>\n<p>The rhythm matches standard rhinoplasty, with one addition &mdash; the internal splints.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Days 1&ndash;2:<\/strong> congestion rather than pain. Head elevated, cold compresses around the eyes.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Day 7:<\/strong> external splint and internal silicone plates removed. Removal takes seconds and does not hurt.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Weeks 1&ndash;2:<\/strong> crusting and a blocked feeling as the septal lining heals &mdash; this is the stage patients most often mistake for the operation having failed. Saline irrigation matters more here than in a purely aesthetic case.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Weeks 3&ndash;6:<\/strong> breathing improves steadily and usually surpasses your pre-operative baseline. Gym at four to six weeks with clearance.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Months 3&ndash;12:<\/strong> the aesthetic result refines on the standard timeline &mdash; see the <a href=\"\/en\/rhinoplasty-recovery-week-by-week\/\">week-by-week guide<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The moment most patients remember is around week three, when the internal swelling finally settles. A great many say they had no idea what a fully open nose felt like.<\/p>\n<h2>Cost and Insurance<\/h2>\n<p>In Istanbul, septorhinoplasty is typically priced modestly above standard rhinoplasty, with the same all-inclusive package logic &mdash; surgery, hospital, anaesthesia, medication, follow-ups. Our <a href=\"\/en\/understanding-rhinoplasty-prices-in-turkey-a-comprehensive-guide\/\">cost guide<\/a> covers what a package must contain.<\/p>\n<p>On insurance, the distinction that governs everything is <strong>functional versus aesthetic<\/strong>. An airway operation may be covered; the aesthetic component is not, anywhere. In the UK the NHS states that nose reshaping <em>&ldquo;is not usually available on the NHS for cosmetic reasons, but may be provided on the NHS if it&rsquo;s needed to help you breathe.&rdquo;<\/em> Check your own policy wording rather than assuming, and expect to be asked for documented indication.<\/p>\n<h2>Honest Limits<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>A perfectly straight septum is not always achievable.<\/strong> Severely deviated or previously operated septa can be improved substantially without becoming geometrically perfect.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Allergy is not cured by surgery.<\/strong> If allergic rhinitis is driving your congestion, straightening the septum helps the mechanical part only &mdash; the allergy still needs treating.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Swelling masks the result for weeks.<\/strong> Judging your breathing at day ten is judging oedema.<\/li>\n<li><strong>A crooked nose rarely becomes perfectly symmetrical.<\/strong> Long-standing deviations have asymmetric bone, cartilage and soft tissue; substantial improvement is realistic, perfection is not.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"bc-sources\">\n<h3>References &amp; further reading<\/h3>\n<p class=\"bc-sources-note\">Written and medically reviewed by Op. Dr. Berkay &Ccedil;aytemel. External sources are provided for general medical background and do not replace a personal consultation.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/my.clevelandclinic.org\/health\/diseases\/16924-deviated-septum\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Cleveland Clinic &mdash; Deviated septum<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.enthealth.org\/conditions\/deviated-septum\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">ENThealth (AAO-HNS) &mdash; Deviated septum<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/tests-and-treatments\/cosmetic-procedures\/cosmetic-surgery\/nose-reshaping-rhinoplasty\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">NHS &mdash; Nose reshaping (rhinoplasty)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.plasticsurgery.org\/cosmetic-procedures\/rhinoplasty\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">American Society of Plastic Surgeons &mdash; Rhinoplasty<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.entnet.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">American Academy of Otolaryngology&ndash;Head and Neck Surgery<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/avesis.istanbul.edu.tr\/berkay.caytemel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Op. Dr. Berkay &Ccedil;aytemel &mdash; Istanbul University academic profile (AVESIS)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/profile\/Berkay-Caytemel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Op. Dr. Berkay &Ccedil;aytemel &mdash; ResearchGate profile<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n<h3>What is septorhinoplasty?<\/h3>\n<p>A single operation that straightens the septum to improve breathing and reshapes the outside of the nose. The cartilage removed while straightening the septum usually provides the grafts used to support the new shape.<\/p>\n<h3>What are the symptoms of a deviated septum?<\/h3>\n<p>Persistent blockage of the <em>same<\/em> nostril, congestion that does not respond to sprays, mouth breathing and snoring, disturbed sleep, recurrent sinus infections, one-sided nosebleeds, and often a visibly crooked nose.<\/p>\n<h3>How long is septorhinoplasty recovery?<\/h3>\n<p>Splints out at day seven, one to two weeks of crusting and blocked-feeling while the septal lining heals, breathing clearly better by weeks three to six, and the aesthetic result refining over twelve months.<\/p>\n<h3>Will fixing my septum change how my nose looks?<\/h3>\n<p>Septoplasty alone does not. But if your nose is externally crooked, genuine correction needs both the inside and the outside addressed &mdash; which is what septorhinoplasty does.<\/p>\n<h3>Is recovery harder than a normal rhinoplasty?<\/h3>\n<p>Not meaningfully. The first week is the same. There is a little more internal congestion early on while the septum heals, and it resolves as swelling settles.<\/p>\n<h3>Does insurance cover septorhinoplasty?<\/h3>\n<p>The functional part may be considered with documented indication; the aesthetic part is not covered anywhere. Rules vary by country, insurer and hospital &mdash; confirm with your own provider.<\/p>\n<h3>Can revision surgery fix breathing ruined by a previous nose job?<\/h3>\n<p>Often, yes. Collapsed valves and re-deviated septa can be rebuilt with grafts &mdash; airway reconstruction is a core part of <a href=\"\/en\/revision-rhinoplasty\/\">revision rhinoplasty<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>How do I find out what my nose needs?<\/h3>\n<p>Send photographs and describe your breathing on <a href=\"https:\/\/wa.me\/905300992762\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WhatsApp<\/a>. You will be told honestly whether you need rhinoplasty, septorhinoplasty, or functional surgery alone.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Septorhinoplasty corrects a deviated septum and reshapes the nose in one operation. Deviated septum symptoms, what surgery involves, recovery, and honest limits.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":595,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-582","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rhinoplasty-turkey"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/berkaycaytemel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/582","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/berkaycaytemel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/berkaycaytemel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/berkaycaytemel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/berkaycaytemel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=582"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/berkaycaytemel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/582\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":804,"href":"https:\/\/berkaycaytemel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/582\/revisions\/804"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/berkaycaytemel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/595"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/berkaycaytemel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=582"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/berkaycaytemel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=582"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/berkaycaytemel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=582"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}