How Much Does Sinus Surgery Cost?

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. Sometimes, sinus surgery is recommended for people 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.

What is sinus surgery?

Sinus surgery opens your sinus passages to help them drain. There are two main sinus surgery procedures:

• Balloon sinuplasty: A small balloon is placed through the nostrils to enlarge blocked sinuses. This is a minimally invasive procedure with quicker recovery and lower rates of complication. Balloon sinuplasty is often an outpatient procedure in a doctor’s office. The FDA cleared the first balloon sinuplasty device in 2005. These instruments prompted the dramatic shift to office-based sinus surgery.

• Functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS): Also known as endoscopic sinus surgery, this procedure removes blockages in the sinuses. The surgical tool is an endoscope, which looks like a thin and flexible metal rod, with a camera at the tip. The camera helps to guide your doctor by showing enlarged images of the sinuses on a screen. The endoscope enters the sinuses through the nostrils, which avoids visible incisions or scars. This procedure can be done in a doctor’s office, but may happen in a surgical center, or hospital. 

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 cost can vary based on the details of the procedure and where the surgery is performed, among other factors.

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 why charges vary is because endoscopic sinus surgery can include a number of procedures. That changes the length of surgery and can mean different supplies are needed. 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 can you expect to pay out of pocket for sinus surgery?

What you pay for sinus surgery shouldn’t be a surprise when the bills arrive. Ask about costs upfront whether you have insurance or not. Your path to more affordable options may include:

• Asking how many providers and separate bills you will have for the surgery

• Choosing in-network providers for your procedure

• Choosing an in-office procedure, if possible, because going to a surgical center or hospital may add extra costs

• Saving money on your pain medications and other prescriptions with GoodRx

If you have insurance, out-of-pocket expenses will depend on your plan. Expect to meet your deductible before your plan begins to pay its share. Also ask upfront about potential copays and coinsurance. You may decide to schedule the surgery later in the year when you have met your deductible.

What factors can affect the cost of sinus surgery?

Your sinus surgery cost can be influenced by many factors. 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 this 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 procedure: Surgery may include nasal polyps 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 surgery in a surgical center or hospital more expensive?

Surgery is usually more expensive in a hospital. You will most likely have charges related to the hospital stay, whether inpatient or outpatient. You also will have costs for the doctor’s or surgeon’s services. Your anesthesia will be a separate bill, too. And you’ll probably have a pharmacy charge.

At a surgery center, you could have separate bills for the doctor’s services, anesthesia, and a facility fee, among other charges. You also could have a bundled price — especially if you’re paying the entire cost out of pocket and negotiate your charges upfront.

In an office setting, you may have separate charges or a bundled bill depending on the provider.

Is sinus surgery worth the cost?

Sinus surgery is often a last resort for a person who has not found relief from medical treatment for chronic sinusitis. If you are a candidate for sinus surgery, it’s possible you’ve already spent lots of money. 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 costs, 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, sinus surgery actually can be the more economical, long-term solution.

How much does follow-up care cost after sinus surgery?

The cost of follow-up care depends on many factors, including:

• Complications of surgery, if any

• Your recovery at home

• Additional doctor visits

You will need to have several appointments with your doctor after surgery.

Your costs will depend on what services you need. If you have insurance, you may have met your deductible for the year after having the surgery. In this case, your insurance may cover follow-up visits. Stil, you may have a copay or coinsurance for the appointments.

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Written by:

Roxanne Nelson, RN, BSN

Roxanne Nelson, RN, BSN, is a registered nurse whose nursing career primarily focused on newborn and pediatric intensive care. As a health and medical writer, her work has appeared in a wide range of consumer publications and professional journals including Scientific American, The Lancet, the American Journal of Nursing, Prevention, and The Washington Post.

Edited by:

Cindy George, MPH

Cindy George is the senior personal finance editor at GoodRx. She is an endlessly curious health journalist and digital storyteller.

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