Will Septal Surgery Change My Nose?
I am a sinus surgeon in Los Angeles, so it’s hard to escape questions about Los Angeles facial cosmetic surgery. One of the most common of these centers around septal surgery, a simple procedure to correct a deviated septum. The question is whether septal surgery will change the shape of the nose.
The answer is no. The septum is the wall that runs in between your nostrils. It is fully confined within the nose itself, and is only visible at the very base of the nose between the openings. Most septal surgery simply corrects any asymmetry in the placement of this wall, positioning it back in the midline, leaving the outer structures largely unchanged.
The only time that septal surgery might affect the appearance of the nose is if correcting the septum requires realigning a curved nose to make it more centered on the face. Many patients actually welcome this subtle change, but it is important to speak with your sinus surgeon beforehand to make sure your expectations are being managed appropriately.
The benefits of septal surgery can be huge: better breathing, better sleeping, and a reduced inclination toward respiratory distress. If you have been holding off on a corrective septal procedure because you consider it a cosmetic risk, I would urge you to contact your sinus surgeon today for a consultation.
