Septorhinoplasty on Long Island

If your nose blocks your breathing and you also want to change its shape, Dr. Ari Hoschander can address both in one surgery on Long Island.

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Want to Breathe Better and Like Your Nose?

Many septorhinoplasty patients on Long Island come to us with two concerns at once: a nose that feels blocked and a shape they never quite liked. When you live with both, it can feel like you have to pick which problem matters more.

Septorhinoplasty is one surgery that straightens the septum inside your nose and reshapes the outside at the same time. Dr. Hoschander uses it to open your airway while he refines a bump, a crooked bridge, or a wide tip, so you no longer have to choose. Patients come from across Long Island to our Manhasset office for this two-in-one approach.

The work is done through small cuts inside the nostrils, and sometimes one tiny cut on the strip of skin between them. The septum is straightened first, and then the bone and cartilage that shape your nose are adjusted to fit your face. At the Rhinoplasty Center of Long Island, every plan is built to protect your breathing while it changes how your nose looks.

Book a consultation to see how one surgery can improve both breathing and shape.

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Septorhinoplasty at a Glance

Procedure Length Typically 2 to 3 hours

Anesthesia General anesthesia

Back to Work 1 – 2 weeks

Scarring Inside the nose or barely visible

Before & After Results

These photos show patients from across Long Island treated at the Rhinoplasty Center of Long Island. Depending on each patient’s goals, surgery can straighten the septum for better breathing, refine the shape of the nose, or both.

See the Before & After Gallery

Benefits of Septorhinoplasty

Septorhinoplasty offers several benefits that can improve both how your nose works and how it looks. Here is what many patients notice once healing is complete.

Breathe Through Both Sides: A straighter septum lets air move more freely through each nostril, day and night.
Sleep More Soundly: Many patients snore less and wake up less often once their nose no longer feels blocked.
Change Your Shape at the Same Time: A bump, a crooked bridge, or a wide tip can be refined during the same surgery.
Get More From Your Workouts: Running, cycling, and gym sessions can feel easier when you can breathe through your nose.
One Surgery and One Recovery: You heal from both changes at once instead of planning two separate operations and two downtimes.
Support That Holds Up Over Time: Cartilage from your own septum can be used to strengthen the new shape from the inside.

Ideal Candidates for Septorhinoplasty

Good candidates have both 1) a breathing problem that comes from the structure of the nose and 2) a shape they would like to change. The points below can help you see whether that sounds like you.

Blockage Plus a Shape Concern

One side of your nose feels stuffed, and you also dislike a bump, tip, or crooked look.

A Septum That Leans

A look inside your nose shows the center wall bending toward one side and narrowing that airway.

A Crooked Nose From an Old Injury

A past break left the outside crooked and the inside blocked, and the bones have fully healed.

A Nose That Has Finished Growing

The nose usually reaches its adult size in the mid to late teens, so surgery waits until then.

Healthy Septal Cartilage to Work With

Enough straight cartilage remains after the bent part is fixed to support or reshape the nose.

Sprays and Pills Have Not Helped

Steroid sprays, allergy pills, or nasal strips have been tried for months without lasting relief.

We’ll confirm whether septorhinoplasty fits your goals at our Long Island office.

A free septorhinoplasty consultation is your first step toward easier breathing and a nose you like.

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How Septorhinoplasty Fixes the Inside and Reshapes the Outside

The septum is a thin wall of cartilage and bone that runs down the middle of your nose. It divides the left and right airways and supports the bridge and tip.

The nose has a few main parts:

Nasal bones: These form the upper part of the bridge, closest to your eyes.
Septum: This central wall supports the bridge and tip and separates the two airways.
Tip and nostril cartilage: These softer cartilages shape the tip and the openings of the nose.
Skin: The skin sits over this framework, so the outside appearance depends on the structure underneath.

When the septum is bent, one side of the nose becomes narrower and harder to breathe through. A bent septum can also shift the nose off center, which is why breathing problems and a crooked nose often happen together.

During septorhinoplasty, the bent part of the septum is removed or repositioned to the middle. An L-shaped section of septum is left in place to keep the bridge and tip properly supported.

Healthy cartilage removed from the septum is often saved and used as graft material. These small pieces can help straighten, support, or reshape other areas of the nose.

We can then smooth a bump, reposition the nasal bones to straighten or narrow the bridge, and refine the tip with stitches. This allows breathing and appearance to be improved in the same surgery.

“Patients often come in for one reason and find out about the other. A person who wants a smaller hump may have a septum that has been crooked for years. We look inside the nose at every consultation. A nose that looks better but breathes worse is not a result we accept.”

Rhinoplasty Center of Long Island

What to Expect During a Consultation at Our Long Island Office

Your visit starts with Dr. Hoschander asking how your breathing feels, which side bothers you most, and what you would like to change about your nose. He then looks inside your nose with a light and studies the outside from every angle, along with photos for your records.

Next, he walks you through what is causing the blockage and which shape changes make sense for your face. He also explains the risks and what recovery from both parts will look like for you.

Our team at the Rhinoplasty Center of Long Island can help you sort out what insurance may cover, since the breathing part is often covered and the cosmetic part is not.

How to Prepare for Your Septorhinoplasty

A little planning before surgery makes the first week at home much easier. Here is what to set up ahead of time.

Saline and Humidifier

Buy saline spray and set up a cool-mist humidifier to ease dryness and crusting inside your nose.

Elevated Sleep Setup

Stack two or three pillows or use a wedge so you can sleep with your head raised.

Cold Compresses

Keep gel packs or bags of frozen peas ready to calm swelling and bruising around your eyes.

Glasses Plan

Plan for contacts or a glasses holder, since glasses should not rest on your healing bridge for several weeks.

Medication Review

Stop aspirin, ibuprofen, and certain supplements as directed, since they can raise your risk of bleeding.

Ride and Helper

Arrange for someone to drive you home and stay with you for the first night after surgery.

These steps make the first week after septorhinoplasty on Long Island much easier.

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Your Septorhinoplasty, Step by Step

A clear picture of surgery day can take some of the nerves out of it. Here is how a typical septorhinoplasty unfolds from start to finish.

You’ll check in at our office, change into a gown, and meet the anesthesia team, who will review your health history with you. Our surgeon also stops by to go over your goals one last time and mark any key points. This short visit makes sure the plan in the room matches the plan from your consultation, and it gives you a chance to ask final questions before you head back.

Once you’re in the operating room, general anesthesia is started and you drift into a deep, comfortable sleep. Your heart rate, breathing, and oxygen levels are watched closely from start to finish. While you rest, the inside of your nose is treated with medicine that numbs the area and shrinks blood vessels. This helps limit bleeding and swelling, which gives the team a clearer view throughout the surgery.

Next, small cuts are made inside the nostrils, so no scar shows on the outside. Through these openings, the skin is gently lifted off the bone and cartilage like a tent cover raised off its frame. This gives a clear view of the structures that shape your nose and your airway. In select cases, a tiny cut between the nostrils is added for an even fuller view.

With the framework in view, the bent parts of the septum are trimmed or moved back to the center. A sturdy L-shaped strip of cartilage is left in place, since it holds up the bridge and tip. Any healthy cartilage that comes out is saved, and this matters more than it sounds. It often becomes the graft material used to support and shape your nose in the next step.

Once your airway is clear, attention turns to the shape you came in to change. A bump on the bridge can be smoothed down, the nasal bones can be moved to narrow or straighten the bridge, and the tip cartilage can be reshaped with fine stitches. Grafts from your septum may be added where extra support is needed, which helps your new shape hold up as you heal.

The skin is laid back over the new framework and closed with fine stitches, and soft splints may be placed inside to support the septum. A small cast goes on the outside to protect the bridge for about a week. After a short rest in recovery, most patients go home the same day with a friend or family member, along with clear aftercare steps and a date for the first follow-up.

Septorhinoplasty Techniques

Septorhinoplasty can be done in more than one way. The right approach depends on your anatomy and how much the outside of your nose needs to change.

Closed Septorhinoplasty

All cuts stay inside the nostrils, so there is no outside scar. This is the approach used for the majority of septorhinoplasty cases at the Rhinoplasty Center of Long Island, including many that involve bridge, tip, and graft work. It typically means less swelling and a quicker recovery.

Open Septorhinoplasty

In select cases, one small cut is added across the strip of skin between the nostrils, and the skin is lifted for a full view of the frame. This may be used for complex reconstruction or some revision cases. The small scar typically fades well and is hard to spot.

Procedures Often Combined with Septorhinoplasty

Some patients have more than one cause of blockage and choose to fix them during the same surgery. These are the procedures most often paired with septorhinoplasty.

Turbinate Reduction

The turbinates are ridges along the side walls of the nose that warm and moisten the air you breathe. When they stay swollen, they can keep your nose blocked even after the septum is straight. If they are shrunk during the same surgery, you gain more space with no extra recovery period.

Nasal Valve Repair

The nasal valve is the narrowest part of your airway, just inside the nostrils. If its side walls are weak and pull inward when you breathe in, small cartilage grafts can brace them. Cartilage from your septum is often used for this, which makes it a natural fit with septorhinoplasty.

Septorhinoplasty Recovery Timeline

Recovery from septorhinoplasty on Long Island often falls during the colder months, when heated indoor air can dry out a healing nose. Everyone heals at their own pace, so treat this timeline as a general guide.

Days 1-3

Your nose will feel stuffed and sore, and bruising may show under the eyes. You’ll rest with your head raised and use cold compresses for comfort.

Week 1

The outer cast and any inner splints usually come off at your one-week visit. Many patients feel ready for desk work or classes by this point.

Weeks 2-3

Most bruising fades during this period, and your nose often looks normal to others while it still feels stiff. You can return to light walks and errands.

Weeks 4-6

Air moves more easily through both sides as inside swelling settles. You can usually ease back into workouts and wear glasses again once we give the okay.

Months 2-6

Most swelling is gone, though the tip may stay a bit firm. Sunscreen and a wide hat protect your healing nose on South Shore beach days.

12 Months+

The last bit of swelling in the tip fades over about a year. By this point, you’ll typically see your final shape and enjoy airflow through both sides.

Recovery Tips

Sleep with your head raised nightly.
Dab your nose instead of blowing it.
Keep glasses off your healing bridge.
Sneeze with your mouth wide open.
Use saline spray several times daily.

Why Choose Us for Septorhinoplasty

Dr. Hoschander is a board-certified plastic surgeon with more than 20 years of surgical experience and a practice built around the nose. For patients on Long Island weighing septorhinoplasty, that focus means one plan that treats your breathing and your shape as parts of the same nose.

Mee the Surgeon

Dr Ari Hoschander Rhinoplasty Long Island

One Plan for Breath and Shape

He maps out the inside and outside changes together, so a smaller bridge never comes at the cost of airflow. Every step is chosen to keep your airway open while your profile improves.

Grafts From Your Own Septum

He saves healthy cartilage from the septum and uses it to support the tip, straighten the bridge, or brace the airway. Your own tissue tends to heal well and keeps your new shape steady.

Careful Splint and Swelling Care

He checks your nose at each key stage, from cast removal to the final tip swelling. Clear aftercare steps and close follow-up help you heal comfortably and let our team spot any concerns early.

Frequently Asked Questions About Septorhinoplasty

Septorhinoplasty fixes how your nose works and how it looks in a single surgery. Below are answers to the questions our Long Island patients ask most before they book.

The breathing part of the surgery is often covered when a deviated septum causes documented blockage. The cosmetic part is typically not covered, and our team can help you see how your plan splits between the two.

Most patients return to desk work in about 1 to 2 weeks, once the cast is off and bruising fades. Swelling keeps going down for months, and the tip can take about a year to fully settle.

Septoplasty straightens the septum inside the nose and typically leaves the outside shape the same. Septorhinoplasty adds rhinoplasty, so it fixes the airway and reshapes the outside in one surgery.

Most patients describe the first few days as pressure and stuffiness, much like a bad head cold, rather than sharp pain. Discomfort is usually managed well with the medicine our team approves and tends to ease within the first week.

Most visible swelling fades within the first few weeks, and many patients look normal to others within a month. Some swelling in the tip can last up to a year, especially with thicker skin.

A closed approach leaves no outside scar since all the cuts are inside the nostrils. An open approach leaves a small line across the strip between the nostrils, which typically fades well.

Glasses usually should not rest on the bridge for about 4 to 6 weeks, since pressure can shift healing bones. Contacts, tape, or a cheek-resting holder can help in the meantime, and our team will tell you when it is safe.

Yes, septorhinoplasty is often the right surgery for a crooked nose since the bend usually involves both the septum and the outside frame. When both are straightened at once, the result tends to look more even than when only one is fixed.

Why Choose the Rhinoplasty Center of Long Island?

At the Rhinoplasty Center of Long Island, we’re dedicated to providing exceptional rhinoplasty care from your first consultation to your final results. Whether you’re located in Nassau or Suffolk County, our team is here to guide and support you throughout the entire process.

We specialize in a range of rhinoplasty techniques that cover all types of noses and focus on delivering results that meet your unique needs. Whether you’re considering cosmetic, functional, or revision rhinoplasty, our expertise ensures you achieve the look and function you have always wanted.

Have questions or ready to book your in-person or virtual consultation? Contact the Rhinoplasty Center of Long Island today. We’re here to help!

Rhinoplasty Center of Long Island
1201 Northern Blvd #2A
Manhasset, NY 11030
(516) 928-4480

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