Getting a nose job is a big decision and you want to make sure you’re getting the best procedure possible. A factor in any kind of procedure is costly, and you may be specifically be wondering how much does a good nose job cost? If you’ve been doing your research, you know that the costs of rhinoplasty widely vary. Many factors affect the total cost of a nose job, and high price doesn’t always mean high quality. Typically, the surgeon’s fee for a primary rhinoplasty is between $6,000-10,000. Revisions typically are a bit more costly particularly when they require structural grafting, which is needed if the skeletal framework is weakened or malpositioned.
What Makes a Good Nose Job?
A rhinoplasty reshapes your nose, changes the shape of your nostrils, removes a bump or corrects an injury to the bridge of your nose, or addresses other issues, such as breathing problems. In some cases, people choose to have a nose job in order to correct a defect in the nose that makes it difficult to breathe. In short, a good nose job is one that achieves your personal vision for the surgery and doesn’t require additional procedures.
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Factors That Influence The Cost of a Good Nose Job
When figuring out the price of a nose job, there’s more than just the physician’s fee involved. Many factors can influence the total cost of a nose job, including whether your insurance will kick in if the doctor is in network or out-of-network in your insurance policy, where your surgery will take place and how far you’re willing to travel.
Insurance
Because rhinoplasty is an elective cosmetic procedure, for the majority of people, their insurance will not cover it. If you have a deviated septum or a serious defect that affects your breathing, you may be able to have insurance cover some of the nose job cost for this septoplasty. An injury, illness or cancer that causes you to lose part of your nose can require a reconstructive rhinoplasty, which may also be partly covered by insurance. This will require preauthorization by the insurance company and other tests or scans to verify the defect.
You’ll want to talk with the doctor’s office about additional costs of these tests. It would be wise to also talk to a benefits specialist who focuses solely on insurance and procedure compatibility. In some instances, these specialists are employees within the surgeon’s practice.
Surgeon’s Fee
Your doctor charges their own fee for doing the procedure. This reflects the surgeon’s experience and geographic location. Large cities tend to have higher fees because overhead costs are higher than in smaller cities. Surgeons with more experience will charge higher fees than those newer to the practice.
Anesthesia
The anesthesiologist charges a separate fee for their services. Your doctor may use an anesthesiologist or a certified nurse anesthetist. You can either have IV sedation, which means you are heavily sedated but not asleep during the procedure, or general anesthesia. These two options carry different price tags. A nurse anesthetist typically charges a little less than an anesthesiologist. The difference between the two is that an anesthetist typically only has to complete a nursing program, while an anesthesiologist is a licensed medical doctor who went through medical school.
Surgical Facility
A nose job can be done in a private surgical suite, an ambulatory surgical center or a hospital. A hospital is the most expensive setting, while a private surgical suite is the least expensive. Most people can have the work done in a private office or ambulatory setting, which is an outpatient procedure. Should you choose to stay overnight in a hospital and undergo an inpatient treatment, it would significantly increase the overall nose job cost.
Pre- and Post-surgical Care
A few weeks before your surgery, you will meet with the surgeon to discuss your personal goals and plan out the procedure. You will also have follow-up appointments post-op to monitor your progress. After surgery, you will need ice packs, gauze and certain pain medication for pain management purposes. All of these pre and post-op appointments and supplies are necessary to take into account when determining what the overall cost of the procedure will be. Be sure to ask your surgeon’s office whether appointments and supplies are included as a package cost and what, if any, additional supplies you may need to buy as you recover from your nose job.
Other Cost Considerations
The complexity of the surgery itself is one factor that people tend to forget when considering the overall cost of a good nose job. Depending on whether you have thick or thin skin, multiple injuries to the nose or severe nasal deviations, the complexity of the surgery required may vary, and so too will the cost. The more complex the surgery, the more expensive it will be. When planning your finances, be sure remember to factor in time spent off work and travel costs as well.
Many offices offer financing plans that allow you to pay them in smaller installments over time. You can also use third-party financing plans, many of which are interest-free if you pay the balance within a set time frame.
Choosing the Right Surgeon
Although cost is certainly an important factor when it comes to deciding where to have a nose job, making sure you find the right surgeon should be at the top of your list of needs. After you do your online research or talk to friends who have had the same or a similar procedure, schedule a consultation with your top choices. At the consultation, come prepared with questions to address all of your concerns and ensure that your needs will be met. Some questions to ask include:
- Are you board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgeons?
- How many years of experience do you have performing nose jobs?
- Do you have hospital privileges? (This means that if something were to go wrong during surgery, the doctor can admit and see you at a hospital.)
- What is your approach to surgery?
- Any questions related to factors that affect cost (i.e., type of anesthesia used, facility, etc.).
You can also ask to see before and after photos and testimonials from past patients. In addition to making sure your surgeon is highly experienced, you should feel comfortable talking to him or her. Do you feel the surgeon is hearing you and understanding your goals for the procedure? Establishing a rapport with the surgeon is extremely important to ensure that you get the results you want.
To ensure a successful procedure, you want to consider the various costs, choose an experienced surgeon and develop a good relationship with him or her to get the best nose job results possible.
