Map of Toronto Location

Toronto Office
Dr. Richard Rival
501-1881 Yonge Street
Toronto, ON M4S 3C4
Phone: (866) 229-3223
Outside Ontario: (905) 830-6711
Monday–Friday: 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

Map of Newmarket Location

Newmarket Office
Dr. Richard Rival
712 Davis Drive, Suite 101A
Newmarket, ON L3Y 8C3
Phone: (905) 830-6711
Outside Ontario: (905) 830-6711
Monday–Friday: 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

What Is A Septorhinoplasty Anyways?

Woman's Septum

You may have heard of the terms “septoplasty” or “septorhinoplasty”, but are not exactly sure what they mean – or what their exact connection is with the term “rhinoplasty”. At Rival, we’re all about making sure everyone who comes in for our services has a full understanding of what kind of procedures we offer.

With this in mind, we’ve decided to do our best to conquer confusing cases like these nose job related terms. This blog will serve as a way to remove confusion over the different terms and explain how these terms relate to rhinoplasties. 

So What is a Septoplasty? 

Understanding what a septoplasty is, involves understanding the difference between it and rhinoplasty. The two terms are very similar because they both involve nose surgeries relating to the nose. In fact, both procedures, while distinct, are often performed at the same time – this is probably where all that confusion comes from! 

Rhinoplasty refers to any procedure that is about the outer appearance of your nose. This can mean making your nose smaller or thinner or smoothing out bumps or crooked areas. Rhinoplasties can deal with the bridge of the nose, the tips, or even the nostrils. 

Septoplasty, on the other hand, is focused on the interior of the nose, as well as the portion of the nose known as the “septum” – hence the name! The septum is that part of your nose between your two nostrils. 

In some cases, the septum can become crooked inside the nose, or displaced too far to one side of the nose. When this happens, it can block off one or both of your nostrils, and make it difficult to breathe. Septoplasty involves straightening out the deviated septum and making sure it is in a nice central position, letting the patient breathe easy once again! 

Okay, but what about Septorhinoplasty?

Often, the term “septorhinoplasty” is used interchangeably with “septoplasty”, but that’s technically not always accurate. Simply put, a septorhinoplasty is a short-hand term to refer to a combination of rhinoplasty and a septoplasty all in one surgery. 

This kind of procedure is more common than you might think, and many will simply describe the procedure like a rhinoplasty – see why these terms can get confusing? All parts of the nose tend to affect the shape and efficiency of other parts. This means that a crooked exterior of a nose can often also mean a crooked septum. It could also be that a nose might have multiple “pain points” that a patient wants to fix.

It’s for this reason that septoplasties and rhinoplasties are often done at the same time. This isn’t necessarily always the case, however. Rhinoplasties that make minor adjustments to the tip of the nose, for example, likely don’t need to get involved with the inside of the nose. Major restructuring of the shape of the nose, on the other hand, will often involve changing the interior.

Why get a Septorhinoplasty?

If you have breathing problems due to a crooked septum, a Septoplasty can be a true life-changer, dramatically increasing your quality of life. However, septoplasties also have cosmetic uses. We don’t often think about our nostrils when it comes to our appearance – generally, people tend to consider the full “silhouette” of the nose when thinking about rhinoplasty.

However, a crooked septum can give a lopsided appearance to the nose as a whole. This lack of symmetry can be distracting for some. So for many, it makes sense to have a septoplasty at the same time as their rhinoplasty – making a full adjustment of all parts of the nose. 
Whether for medical or cosmetic reasons, a septoplasty can help bring balance back to your life (specifically, your nose!). If you’re interested in septoplasty or rhinoplasty procedures, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re happy to answer questions about rhinoplasty or septoplasty costs in Canada or get you started on booking an appointment.

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