Should you reshape your nose without fixing your breathing? What to know
.JPG "Rhinoplasty and septorhinoplasty sound similar but actually refer to different types of procedures.")
Q. Can you tell me what the difference between a septoplasty and a septorhinoplasty? I went to two doctors for my nose and one told me I needed a rhinoplasty and the other told me I needed a septorhinoplasty.
A. This is a common question because the terms rhinoplasty and septorhinoplasty sound similar but actually refer to different types of procedures.
A rhinoplasty is primarily a cosmetic operation. Its purpose is to improve the external appearance of the nose by removing a hump, refining the tip, straightening the bridge, or making the nose appear smaller and more balanced with the rest of the face. It focuses on how the nose looks rather than how well a person breathes through it.
A septorhinoplasty, by contrast, is both functional and cosmetic. It combines a septoplasty, which corrects a deviated septum and improves airflow, with a rhinoplasty that reshapes the outside of the nose. This allows the surgeon to improve breathing while also enhancing the overall appearance of the nose.
One important point that many patients are not aware of is that it is rarely enough to perform only a cosmetic rhinoplasty. When the goal is to make the nose smaller, which is often the case cosmetically, the internal airway can also become smaller. If the inside of the nose is not addressed at the same time, breathing may remain unchanged or can even worsen after surgery.
For this reason, it is often necessary to create more space inside the nose. This may involve correcting a deviated septum and reducing the turbinates either by cauterization or by outfracture in order to improve airflow.
If a patient has any difficulty breathing, a septorhinoplasty is usually the more comprehensive procedure because it improves both function and appearance at the same time and helps prevent ongoing obstruction or the need for future surgery.
Dr. Carlos Wolf is a partner in Miami Plastic Surgery and is board certified. Email questions to him at Cwolf@miamiplasticsurgery.com
This story was originally published February 20, 2026 at 8:03 AM.