Rhinoplasty Covered by Insurance? A Complete Guide to Functional Rhinoplasty!

Hello.

We are OJIKO & Plus Clinic, a clinic that thinks only about your beautiful and healthy nose.

Today, we have prepared information about functional rhinoplasty surgery.

What is functional rhinoplasty surgery?

Functional rhinoplasty simply refers to surgery that solves problems such as a blocked and stuffy nose.

What causes nasal congestion?

There are various causes of nasal congestion, but the part related to functional nose surgery is the septum, which divides the middle of the nose in half.

When that part is crooked, it is called a deviated septum. Also, when the septum is bent toward the upper portion, the space formed with the lateral wall of the nose can become narrow.

That space is called the nasal valve, and when it becomes narrow, nasal valve stenosis occurs.

Inside the nose, there is tissue called the inferior turbinate.

Some people may have seen it through an endoscope inside the nose; when that inner tissue becomes extremely enlarged, it is usually called sinusitis or rhinitis. Surgery to reduce that area is called rhinitis surgery.

These three areas are what we refer to as functional nose surgery.

Why is functional nose surgery necessary?

The first reason is often to breathe comfortably.

In particular, many people decide to have surgery because their nose feels very blocked and stuffy while sleeping.

Because the nose is a living structure, it is not always blocked or always open.

When you lie down before sleeping, the face becomes lower than the heart, and blood flow tends to collect in the septum, inferior turbinate, and nasal valve mucosal areas.

Compared to when you are standing and active, the inside of the nose swells much more. This is surgery that improves those issues.

As mentioned above, many people consider surgery because of discomfort during sleep,

and functional rhinoplasty can help relieve that discomfort.

In severe cases, some people also complain of headaches.

If the upper nasal valve is not sufficiently and smoothly ventilated, some people complain of headaches in the frontal sinus, the front part of the head.

If it becomes severe, inflammation and pus can develop, leading to sinusitis.

Olfactory dysfunction and various other discomforts may also occur.

So, surgery that helps us breathe comfortably and quickly can be called functional nose surgery.

Recently, while undergoing functional surgery, many people have asked whether it can be done together with aesthetic concerns they have had for a while, such as a nose that is upturned, low, or wide.

Surgery can be performed at the same time, and I think it is right to perform aesthetic rhinoplasty at the same time as functional nose surgery.

This is because if you have rhinoplasty that focuses only on appearance, and later develop functional discomfort in the nose, it is a bit more difficult to perform functional surgery compared to when no cosmetic surgery has been done.

Some people had no problems before cosmetic rhinoplasty, but developed nasal congestion after surgery.

In such cases, if too much septal cartilage is removed, the nose may bend because it is excessively pressured or lacks the strength to support itself, and functional surgery may become necessary after cosmetic rhinoplasty.

Therefore, at N Plus, we perform functional surgery and aesthetic surgery at the same time, that is, functional rhinoplasty.

During spring and fall in Korea, allergies, itching, runny nose, sneezing, and nasal congestion are common.

Among these, the symptom that can be treated with surgery is nasal congestion.

In the case of runny nose, itching, and sneezing, these are part of allergic rhinitis, so for allergic rhinitis, medication is the standard treatment.

In addition, there is immunotherapy or avoidance therapy, such as avoiding places with lots of pollen or dust,

or minimizing exposure by wearing a mask.

During consultations, there are patients who want to have rhinitis surgery.

However, rather than nasal congestion, they want surgery because of runny nose, sneezing, or itching,

and in such cases, it is difficult to resolve the problem through surgery.

As mentioned above, medication, immunotherapy, and avoidance therapy may be helpful.

Is insurance coverage available for functional rhinoplasty?

Functional nose surgery is a medical condition. Therefore, insurance coverage is possible.

For functional nose surgery, our clinic provides guidance on the documents needed to prepare for that part, as well as information about hospitalization.

When people receive functional rhinoplasty, they ask whether all surgeries can receive insurance benefits.

That is not the case.

When you undergo functional surgery and try to proceed with aesthetic rhinoplasty for the aspects of the nose you feel are lacking,

functional nose surgery can receive insurance coverage, but cosmetic nose surgery is difficult to have covered.

So far, we have shared information about insurance-covered rhinoplasty and functional rhinoplasty.

I hope this article is very helpful for those who think nasal congestion makes daily life inconvenient.

Thank you^^