Rhinoplasty has a reputation as one of the more expensive procedures I perform, starting at $15,000 in my practice, and revision starts at $18,000. I’ll give you the honest version of what that number includes, why it varies so much from surgeon to surgeon, and why I think searching for the cheapest rhinoplasty surgeon is the wrong way to go about it.
What the Price Actually Includes
The published price on my web page, on the fees page, includes everything you need to undergo a rhinoplasty. This is the surgeon’s fee, the anesthesia fee, and the operating room fee. It includes the vitamins you’ll take preoperatively and after surgery, as well as supplements like Arnica and Bromelain for bruising and swelling. I give you ice packs and everything you need to recover, as well as your follow-up appointments. The only thing you’ll be responsible for is picking up your prescription medications at the pharmacy.
Why the Price Varies So Much From Surgeon to Surgeon
There are several things that increase the cost of a rhinoplasty with certain surgeons. Location affects the price, due to overhead and the fees related to anesthesia and the operating room, which are more expensive in certain cities. When you seek a board-certified plastic surgeon, they often charge more than a non-board-certified physician, because of their experience and additional training. Other factors include how much demand a surgeon has for rhinoplasties, the expertise and consistent before-and-after results, and patient testimonials and satisfaction.
Sometimes you’ll see too-good-to-be-true prices, and they usually are. When this happens, surgeons usually cut down on surgical time, or rush through the procedure to decrease the cost of anesthesia and the operating room. Also, surgeons who aren’t as experienced, or want to get more experience with rhinoplasty, may charge less to attract new patients.
What Actually Changes the Cost
| Factor | How it moves the price |
|---|---|
| Primary rhinoplasty, standard | Baseline, $15,000+ |
| Open technique with significant tip work | Longer procedure, more controlled contours, cost rises with time |
| Weir incision (ala width reduction) | Adds time, increases cost somewhat |
| Revision rhinoplasty | $18,000+, grafts often needed from other parts of the body or a donor graft, much longer surgery |
| Rhinoplasty plus chin implant | $18,000+ |
Most primary rhinoplasties are standard. If there’s significant tip work, I usually recommend an open rhinoplasty for the best results, and more controlled, longer-lasting contours. But cost is really determined by how long the procedure takes and the number of maneuvers and techniques needed, including grafting. Most rhinoplasties are done in two to two and a half hours. When a patient also wants to reduce the width of the ala, a Weir incision, the time runs a little longer, and that increases the cost somewhat. What increases the cost the most is revision rhinoplasty, where grafts need to be taken from other parts of the body, or using a donor graft. These surgeries run much longer, and multiple revisions make them exponentially longer.
Insurance, Deviated Septum, and the Cosmetic Portion
I have a holistic approach to rhinoplasty. I don’t take insurance myself, but I still take care of the problem. If I encounter a deviated septum, or diagnose it before surgery, I take care of that at the same time as the rhinoplasty itself, which is usually cosmetic in nature. If a septoplasty or turbinate resection is necessary and a patient wants to run that portion through insurance, the insurance will require the procedure be done at a Medicare-certified surgery center or hospital. Some surgeons do it this way, but the patient still gets charged for the cosmetic portion in terms of OR time and anesthesia, and that ends up much higher than if the entire procedure is performed at the surgeon’s own cosmetic surgery center.
Why I Think It’s Worth the Investment
Rhinoplasty is a very technically demanding procedure, and it requires vast experience and great communication with the patient, to find out what the patient is truly looking for. I find 3D imaging systems help communicate better, so patients can visualize the changes that are technically feasible, and that makes certain the surgeon and the patient are on the same page. A rhinoplasty also isn’t something that can be easily hidden after surgery. It’s in the middle of your face. Everybody else is going to be looking at it, and you’re going to be looking at it in the mirror every day. It’s important to get it right, and it’s really important to get it right the first time, because that’s the best chance at the best result.
I do a lot of revision surgeries, and I can say a revision will never get it as good as the first time around. Revisions are far more expensive than an initial rhinoplasty. That’s why I think cost-cutting, or searching for the cheapest rhinoplasty surgeon, isn’t the right way to go about it.
Smart Questions Beyond “How Much”
The most important things to look at are the surgeon’s reviews, the number of reviews, their before-and-after photos, the number of before-and-after photos, the consistency in results, and whether the surgeon is using an accredited facility. Make sure you’ll have proper follow-up and access to the clinic twenty-four hours a day after surgery. Make sure your surgeon is board-certified. And make sure you have good rapport with the surgeon during the consultation, since you’ll be seeing them for a while, rhinoplasties take about a year for their final outcome.
Financing
Making a rhinoplasty affordable is something I take seriously, so my practice offers several financing options, including PatientFi, AlphaEon, Cherry, and CareCredit. Beyond those, I also offer direct financing through the practice itself, where a patient can make payments toward their surgery ahead of time, scheduling the procedure around a timeline that works for them. Patients are always welcome to use a credit card, pay in cash, or finance through their own bank.
What About Non-Surgical Filler Rhinoplasty?
Non-surgical rhinoplasty, the liquid filler option, costs significantly less than surgery, usually around fifteen hundred dollars, and it’s done without anesthesia or an operating room. It’s a temporary fix, and what you’re really doing is creating an optical illusion by adding volume to the nose, so you’re making it bigger. If your goal is to make your nose smaller, this isn’t the right treatment. But if you have a small hump, it can be hidden by adding filler above the hump, below the hump, and to the tip.
Filler doesn’t really go away, it migrates. I see a tendency in some patients where the bridge of the nose, or even the tip, starts getting wider over time as the filler dissipates. If you’re seriously considering a rhinoplasty down the road, you’ll likely need the filler dissolved first with Hylenex, a hyaluronidase that dissolves fillers. You shouldn’t have any other materials injected into the nose, since they’re not dissolvable and can interfere with future treatments.
Hidden Costs and My Revision Policy
The idea behind a primary rhinoplasty is to get it all done correctly the first time. There’s a chance that after surgery there are things a surgeon can’t control, like how an individual scars, how fast swelling resolves, and whether the cartilage’s memory wants to return to its previous shape or deviation. So sometimes revisions are necessary. I always give it at least a year before jumping to any revision, to allow all the swelling to go down. If a revision is requested and I believe the result can be improved, I won’t charge any surgeon’s fees. The patient is only responsible for the operating room and anesthesia.
About Dr. Frank Agullo
Frank Agullo, MD, FACS, is double board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Surgery and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He completed his plastic surgery fellowship at Mayo Clinic and serves as a Clinical Associate Professor of Plastic Surgery at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine. He has been named a Castle Connolly Top Doctor for thirteen consecutive years.
Ready to Talk?
Bring the real questions, not just the number. I’ll walk you through exactly what goes into your quote.
Call (915) 590-7900, text 1-866-814-0038, or book online at agulloplasticsurgery.com/appointments. #StayBeautiful.
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Cross-links
- Patient-facing version on agulloplasticsurgery.com: “What Rhinoplasty Actually Costs in El Paso” (link once live)
- Practice version on swplasticsurgery.com: “Southwest Plastic Surgery on Rhinoplasty Pricing” (link once live)