Cost comparison between surgical rhinoplasty and non-surgical rhinoplasty is somewhat like apples and oranges. No aspect is equal. And, when considering cost, there are time costs as well as dollar costs to be considered. As with any surgery, rhinoplasty mandates “downtime”. Time away from work, with perhaps lost income. Typically 7-14 days depending on the extent of surgery and one’s individual healing time. When swelling and bruising have abated to such a point that there are no obvious signs of surgery, the door is open to return to work and normal activities within the above range.
Quick and virtually painless, a non-surgical rhinoplasty offers instant results with no recovery time. One can have the injection during lunch hour and no one would be the wiser.
The cost of the surgical rhinoplasty varies geographically; large cities have higher costs because of practice rent and staff expenses. However, it is the large cities where the most sophisticated, most highly specialized and experienced practitioners call home and so, shopping by price alone can be risky. There are other costs that must be considered. In addition to the surgeon’s fee, there is the anesthesia specialist’s fee and the cost of the operating facility, which can be an outpatient surgery center, the surgeon’s office, if the safety level meets accreditation standards or a hospital. And, remember, if the surgeon will also be performing functional surgery to improve breathing, help treat sinus infections and aid in allergy relief, the surgeon’s fee, the surgery center’s charge, and anesthesia specialist’s fee will be somewhat higher. It’s very important to have a clear explanation of such costs at the consultation.
Depending on the variables noted above, the range of all costs may be from $2,000 to $10,000. Note that if one has medical insurance, it may defray some of the costs if the operation has the functional procedures performed at that one surgical session. That financial help may be significant, depending on the insurance policy.
The cost of the temporary fillers needs to be calculated over many years if comparing that option to permanent fillers or even surgery, which may be harder to budget for upfront. When comparing the relative costs of surgical rhinoplasty, particularly revision rhinoplasties, second, third or more, with the permanent filler, the dollar difference is enormous. And, getting back to the “soft cost”, the surgery’s requisite time off work, including mandatory post-operative office visits, the dollar spread is even wider.