How Much Does Nasal Surgery Cost

Sinusitis, or rhinosinusitis, is an inflammation or infection of the sinuses. Sinusitis is characterized by a buildup of mucus and sinus inflammation. Sinus infections are a common symptom of allergies and the common cold.

The repeated occurrence of sinus infections lasting 8 weeks or more characterizes chronic sinusitis or chronic rhinosinusitis. Their symptoms persist even after being treated for months or even years with various medications and therapies, including nasal sprays, oral medications, saline rinses, antibiotics, and more.

In cases where non-surgical treatments have failed, sinus surgery may offer permanent relief from chronic sinusitis. Sinus surgery is sometimes recommended for people whose symptoms are mild. Sinus surgery can treat a variety of issues, including nasal polyps.

We’ll discuss the potential benefits and drawbacks of sinus surgery below. In this article we’ll also highlight the cost of balloon sinus surgery and how much sinus surgery is with insurance.

How Much Does Nasal Surgery Cost

Key takeaways:

• Sinus surgery can be expensive. Asking questions upfront may reduce your out-of-pocket costs.
• The procedure you choose, the location of the surgery, and your health insurance coverage all influence the cost of sinus surgery.
• If you have insurance, out-of-pocket expenses depend on your plan’s coverage.

Sinusitis, also known as rhinosinusitis, is a sinus infection. This condition causes inflammation of the sinuses and mucus buildup. Allergies and colds can lead to sinus infections.

People with chronic sinusitis or chronic rhinosinusitis have sinus infections that happen repeatedly and last 8 weeks or longer. After many months or years of nasal sprays, oral medications, saline rinses, antibiotics, and other treatments, their symptoms continue.

Often, sinus surgery can provide long-term relief for chronic sinusitis when nothing else has worked. People sometimes receive recommendations for sinus surgery before their symptoms worsen. Sinus surgery also can be a solution for other conditions, such as nasal polyps.

Below, we explore sinus surgery and its potential costs.

How much does sinus surgery cost with or without insurance?

Sinus surgery can be expensive. Out-of-pocket costs can run into the hundreds of dollars for people with insurance and into the thousands of dollars for people without insurance. Your procedure’s details and location can affect your cost.

Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, and many private insurance plans cover sinus surgery. Coverage usually depends on certain symptoms or a determination that sinus surgery is medically necessary.

Endoscopic sinus surgery costs

One 2021 study found that endoscopic sinus surgery ranges from about $3,600 to more than $10,500. The surgery was more cost-effective than continued medical therapy.

One reason for the variation in charges is that endoscopic sinus surgery may involve multiple procedures. This alters the duration of the surgery, potentially requiring different supplies. Longer surgeries often include more components and cost more. 

Another 2021 study compared the costs of endoscopic sinus surgery for people with chronic rhinosinusitis and nasal polyps to another treatment. The charges for an endoscopic sinus surgery with no complications were about $9,000.

Finally, a 2018 analysis of insurance claims from 2012 to 2016 estimated the cost of endoscopic sinus surgery in 2017-adjusted U.S. dollars and included balloon sinuplasty. The study found an average cost of $10,565 on the day of the procedure. That average figure increased to $13,772 when adding costs for the following 45 days. Those added expenses included pain medication, follow-up visits, and nasal irrigation products.

One Georgia surgical center offers an all-inclusive cash price for people without insurance for between $5,000 and $6,000, depending on the complexity of the sinus surgery.

What factors can affect the cost of sinus surgery?

Many factors can influence the cost of your sinus surgery. They include:

• Pre-surgery confirmation: You may need a CT scan to confirm inflammation and blockages. Your insurance company may require this screening to cover sinus surgery.
• Location of procedure: The surgery can take place in a doctor’s office, surgical center, hospital, or other location. A doctor’s office is usually, but not always, the cheapest setting (more on the subject in the next section).
• Type of procedure: These can include endoscopic sinus surgery, balloon sinuplasty, or another sinus operation. The components of the sinus surgery, regardless of type, can also influence cost. Most balloon sinuplasty procedures happen in a doctor’s office, which makes the cost usually — but not always — lower than endoscopic sinus surgery.
• Components of the procedure: Surgery may include nasal polyp removal or deviated septum straightening. These different procedures can add to the cost. 
• Length of procedure: Longer operating time tends to lead to higher costs.
• Anesthesia: Depending on the procedure, you may receive a sedative, local anesthesia, topical anesthesia, intravenous (IV) sedation, or general anesthesia, which will put you to sleep — or some combination of these. Your cost will likely increase if there is an anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist involved.

Is sinus surgery worth the cost?

People who have not found relief from medical treatment for chronic sinusitis often resort to sinus surgery. If you are a candidate for sinus surgery, you may have already incurred significant expenses. You’ve probably tried oral medications, antibiotics, nasal sprays, nasal irrigation, allergy shots, and other treatments. And that doesn’t even include time away from work or school, transportation expenses, or parking fees during office visits. 

You’ve also probably spent a lot of time feeling miserable.

So, over the long term, sinus surgery may be an economical choice if you can reduce medical treatment costs and decrease misery.

Are there more affordable alternatives to sinus surgery?

As mentioned previously, you can manage sinus symptoms with medical treatments such as

• Oral medications (over the counter or prescription)
• Nasal sprays (over the counter or prescription)
• Nasal irrigation
• Trigger avoidance

These medical treatments may be more affordable than a sinus surgery that could cost more than $10,000. But if the sinus surgery brings relief and reduces your costs later, it can actually be the more economical, long-term solution.

Conclusion

Sinus surgery can provide long-term relief from chronic sinusitis when other treatments haven’t worked. It can be effective but also expensive. 

The cost will depend on many factors, including whether you have a balloon sinuplasty or endoscopic sinus surgery. Costs can increase if you need other procedures during your surgery, such as nasal polyp removal. Your charges also can vary depending on whether your surgery happens in a doctor’s office, surgical center, clinic, or hospital. 

If sinus surgery is considered medically necessary, most health insurance plans will cover the cost. Your out-of-pocket costs will depend on your health insurance plan. You may want to schedule your surgery later in the year after you have met your deductible to reduce out-of-pocket costs. Whether you have insurance or not, you may save money if you ask about costs upfront. 

In the long run, obtaining relief through surgery could be more cost-effective than continuing to suffer and incurring ongoing medical expenses.