ENT, Head and Neck Surgery

Septoplasty in Nigeria

The partition between the two sides of the nose is straightened so you can breathe through it. It does not change how your nose looks from the outside, and anyone who tells you otherwise is describing a different operation.

Also called: Deviated septum surgery, Nasal septum correction, SMR

Medically reviewed by Dr Debo Odulana, Founder and Chief Executive, Mezo. Last reviewed 3 October 2026. This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Care is decided with you after an examination.

Published price

₦390,000

Fixed all-in case rate, septoplasty

Day case in most people.

What the price covers

  • Surgeon and assistant fees
  • Anaesthetist and theatre time
  • Standard consumables for the operation
  • Your bed for the expected stay
  • Routine medication while you are admitted
  • The post-operative review at six weeks

What it does not cover

  • The first consultation and the tests that confirm you need the operation
  • Treating conditions found during work-up, such as uncontrolled diabetes or an untreated infection
  • Take-home medication after discharge
  • Care for complications needing intensive care or a return to theatre

Related prices

Septoplasty with turbinate reduction

₦470,000

What would change this price

  • Sinus surgery performed at the same time
  • Turbinate reduction, priced separately above
  • An overnight stay, occasionally needed where packing is used

If an HMO is paying, the case needs prior authorisation before admission. Bring your HMO number to the first consultation and the desk will start it. If the plan declines, you are told the cash price before anything is booked.

Get a written quoteSee the surgeons

Who this is for

  • A nose that has never breathed properly on one side
  • Blockage that has not improved after a proper trial of a steroid nasal spray
  • Recurrent sinus infections on the obstructed side
  • A septum pushed over by an old injury

When it is not the right answer

  • Blockage from allergy alone, which responds to treatment rather than surgery
  • Anyone who has not yet tried a nasal steroid spray correctly for several weeks
  • Someone whose real complaint is the external shape of the nose, which is a different operation

The pathway, step by step

  1. 1

    Consultation with nasal endoscopy₦35,000

    The inside of the nose is examined with a scope at the first visit, so the diagnosis is seen rather than assumed.

  2. 2

    Medical treatment first

    A proper trial of a steroid spray, used correctly, clears a good share of blocked noses without surgery.

  3. 3

    The operation

    Forty five minutes to an hour under general anaesthetic, entirely through the nostrils. No external cuts.

  4. 4

    Home the same day

    You leave with saline spray, painkillers and instructions not to blow your nose.

  5. 5

    Review at six weeks₦25,000

    Airway checked once the swelling has settled.

Recovery, realistically

Days 1 to 3

The nose feels more blocked than before because of swelling. This is expected and is not the operation failing.

Week 1

Congestion and crusting. Saline rinses several times a day. Most people take a week off.

Week 2 to 4

Breathing steadily improves as swelling settles.

Week 6 onwards

The final result. This is when you judge whether it worked.

Risks you should be told about

  • Bleeding in the first two weeks
  • Persistent blockage where allergy was also part of the problem
  • A hole in the septum, uncommon
  • Temporary numbness of the upper front teeth
  • Change in the shape of the nose, rare

Every operation carries risk. A surgeon who lists none is not being straight with you. Yours will go through these with you before you consent.

Questions people ask

Will my nose look different?

No. Septoplasty works on the partition inside the nose. Changing the external shape is rhinoplasty, a different operation, quoted separately.

Why is my nose more blocked straight after surgery?

Swelling. It is worst in the first week and settles over the following month. Judging the result before six weeks will mislead you.

Will I have packing in my nose?

Often not these days. Where it is used it comes out within a day or two.

Does it cure my snoring?

It can help, and it is not a reliable cure. Snoring usually has more than one cause and the nose is only one of them.

Prices shown are Mezo cash prices in naira and were last checked on 3 October 2026. They are what you would be quoted for the standard case described here. Your final quote follows an examination, because the right operation for you may not be this one.