I completely understand the consideration of costs and as consumers in this era of connectivity, it is so much easier to search online, compare prices and look for something that is more "cost-effective". Certainly the old adage “you get what you pay for” still holds true and for a surgery as delicate as rhinoplasty, it’s often important to make sure you get it right the first time. Much more will be spent on revisions if the initial surgery is not done well. Let me help to break down what contributes to the costs of a rhinoplasty so that you can decide and prioritise your choices.
What contributes to the total fees of a rhinoplasty:
1. Surgeon’s fees. This would usually form about 50-60% of the total fees. Pick your surgeon very wisely as a good and experienced surgeon will be able to advise you on what can be done and also what cannot be done, the potential complications and downtime and reduce the risk of requiring any revision surgery.
2. Implant rhinoplasty without nasal tip surgery would probably be the simplest rhinoplasty surgery and more complex additions such as tip-pasty, alar base, osteotomy for nasal bone modifications will require significantly more expertise and time and hence increase the surgeon’s fee component. Hence the wide range of the total fees.
3. Revision surgeries typically require the surgeon to undo the scars from the prior surgery before proceeding with rhinoplasty and hence is more complex and requires more time.
4. Facility fees . Facility fees are always on the rise and this usually accounts for a sizeable amount of the bill. Depending on where you choose the perform the surgery, the costs will vary. This is usually charged in time blocks. Some surgeons will quote a fix fee. However, that limits his time to get the job done. Occasionally, more time may be required to refine the results and hence I often quote a range to cater for this.
5. Cost of consumables. This would include consumables such as sutures, nasal splints and silicone implants which are required for the surgery. These will usually make up a small part of the bill.
6. Ward fees. Most of the rhinoplasty surgeries I perform are done as an outpatient procedure and patients do not have to stay overnight. However, certain patients may either require or request for overnight monitoring and this will add to the costs.
7. Anaesthesia fees.
8. Medication. Minimal medications are required after a rhinoplasty. This usually includes pain killers, antibiotics, nasal decongestants and topical antibiotics.
9. Follow-ups.
The range for rhinoplasty can range from $4000-$20000 and this would depend on the complexity of the case and the time required to achieve all the objectives that you have. Before surgery have a look at this session question I answered on how to get the best results for rhinoplasty (https://www.human.com.sg/questions/how-to-get-the-best-results-from-a-rhinoplasty). Speak to a few surgeons and find one that you are comfortable with before you decide on your surgery. Speak to your surgeon today and request for a breakdown of the fees so that you can understand what you are paying for.
