Can one have a cosmetic rhinoplasty after already having a septoplasty?
Yes
One can have cosmetic rhinoplasty to alter the shape of the nose after septoplasty for a deviated septum.
During the septoplasty procedure, deviated portions of bone and cartilage may be removed entirely or they may be readjusted and repositioned. This deviated septum surgery has different techniques and approaches, largely dependent on the anatomy of the nasal septum for each particular person. For a majority of patients, septoplasty surgery does not alter the external shape of the nose, since the deviated portions of cartilage and bone are usually internal.
After a septoplasty, it’s best to wait an adequate amount of time for appropriate healing. Most plastic surgeons wait at least 6 months, if not longer, before proceeding with rhinoplasty surgery.
If you are planning to have a septoplasty in the future and considering a possible rhinoplasty, then it would be better to combine both procedures at the same time. Combination nasal surgery is beneficial for several reasons. First, cartilage modified from the nasal septum during the septoplasty may be used for grafts during the rhinoplasty. Second, the recovery and healing following surgery would only be once, and downtime is minimized by avoiding two separate procedures. Lastly, rhinoplasty after having had a septoplasty is a potentially more complicated procedure.
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