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Septoplasty in Spain for Irish public patients
Covered by the HSE under the Cross Border Directive.
A blocked nose that never clears can spoil your sleep, your exercise and your sense of smell for as long as you wait.
Your septoplasty without the public wait: a fixed price in a private hospital in Spain, paid back by the HSE. The hospital, the surgeon, the price and your stay are in writing before you decide.
Free · no commitment · no documents · by video or phone, at a time you pick
Your right under EU law since 2011
2,266claims paid back to Irish patients in 2024
Your rights under the schemeOf the 6,232 adults on the public ear, nose and throat list in Ireland at the end of September 2026, 3,369 had been waiting over six months and 2,066 over a year.
National Treatment Purchase Fund, inpatient and day-case waiting list by specialty, September 2026
Your septoplasty in Spain, step by step.
Eight steps from the first conversation to your refund. You commit at step 4, not before.
Before you commit
Stop at any time, at no cost
Talk to us
You
Schedule a free call, by video or phone, at a time you pick. We answer your questions and tell you how the route works for a septoplasty.
Fill in the Consent Form
You · about 15 minutes
Your details and documents, uploaded securely. You need a referral about the blocked breathing from your GP or from a public ear, nose and throat consultant, or a letter showing you are on the public waiting list.
We determine your eligibility
Ablement · within 1 to 2 working days
You get a clear yes or no on whether you are eligible for a septoplasty in Spain. Reshaping the outside of the nose for appearance is not paid back.
We find a private hospital
Ablement · within 5 working days of a complete file
We ask the hospitals and send you one written proposal: the hospital, the surgeon, the price of your septoplasty, the dates and your expected refund.
After you commit
We stay with you to the refund
Your date is confirmed
The hospital
The hospital confirms your date in writing within 10 working days of your acceptance, and then you book your travel. Whether you stay a night in hospital depends on your operation and your surgeon; the hospital's written plan says how long you will be away.
Your treatment abroad
The hospital
If you stay overnight, you meet your surgeon in person before you are admitted, as the HSE requires; for a day case you can talk by video or phone before you travel, where the hospital offers it. Then you have your operation and fly home when the surgeon says you are fit to fly. You pay the hospital directly and send us the documents for your claim.
We claim your refund
Ablement · within 5 working days of your return
We send your signed claim to the HSE and follow it until you are paid. The HSE paid in 45 days on average in 2024.
Your aftercare at home
Your GP
Your GP and the public system take over, as if you had the operation at home. A check-up some weeks later is common; your GP can refer you to a public ear, nose and throat consultant.
One contact person, from the first conversation to the refund.
Easy to reach at every step. A family member can join every call.
What a septoplasty costs you
Our service
Nothing. The hospital that treats you pays us a referral fee.
The hospital
One fixed price for your septoplasty, in writing before you commit. You pay the hospital directly, before the HSE pays you back.
The HSE
Pays you back up to what a septoplasty costs in the Irish public system, at the rate for the setting it would have had in Ireland, a day case or an overnight stay, in 45 days on average (2024).
The detail for a septoplasty
The HSE pays back a septoplasty up to what the operation costs in the Irish public system, or the invoice if that is less. The HSE pays at the rate for the setting the operation would have had in Ireland, as a day case or with an overnight stay, whatever your stay abroad; your proposal shows the expected refund. Reshaping the outside of the nose for appearance is not refunded. The money is paid into your own account after the treatment and does not cover travel, accommodation or a companion. You get the hospital's price in writing before you accept, and if no hospital fits within the refund, we show you the gap in writing and you decide.
What is paid back, and when
Find out in one free call if a septoplasty in Spain can work for you
Kaare Beck-Fischer, Chief Executive Officer
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What a septoplasty involves
The septum is the wall of cartilage and bone between the two nostrils. When it is bent, one side of the nose, or both, stays blocked. In a septoplasty the surgeon works through the nostrils, lifts the lining, trims and straightens the bent parts of the septum and puts the lining back. There is no cut on the outside and the shape of the nose does not change. It is done under a general or a local anaesthetic and takes about an hour.
The nose feels blocked for a week or two while the swelling goes down, and the surgeon may fit soft splints inside for a few days. The aim is air passing freely on both sides: better breathing, better sleep and, for many, a better sense of smell.
Questions about a septoplasty
Short answers to what people ask us most. Open a question to read the answer.
All frequently asked questionsYour question isn't here?
Ask us in the chat Or send us a message from the Contact pageIs a septoplasty the same as a nose job?
No. A septoplasty works on the inside of the nose so that you breathe better; it is not meant to change how your nose looks. Reshaping the nose for appearance is cosmetic, and the HSE does not refund it.
Can it be done with sinus surgery?
Yes, surgeons often do both in one operation when you need both. If your referral mentions sinus problems too, the hospital prices the combined operation, and we check what the refund covers for it: the HSE pays one rate for each admission, whatever is done during it, so the combined operation brings one refund, not two. Your proposal shows it before you commit, and a prior notification form lets you ask the HSE for an indication of the amount before you travel.
When can I fly home?
You stay near the hospital for a few days after the operation. The surgeon checks it before you go and decides when you can fly, and the written proposal tells you the hospital's usual timing in advance.
Will I lose my place on the Irish waiting list?
No. The HSE's rules do not ask you to leave the list to use the scheme, and you stay on it until you have been treated. Once your operation is done abroad, you let the Irish hospital know, so it can take you off the list. If you change your mind before then, nothing has changed at home.
Do I have to pay up front?
Yes. You pay the hospital directly, and the HSE pays you back afterwards, in 45 days on average in 2024. Some people use savings, help from their family or a credit union loan. We do not lend money or arrange loans, and no money of yours passes through us.
Is it safe, and what if something goes wrong?
You see the hospital and the surgeon's name in writing before you decide anything, and you have a consultation with the surgeon before the operation. Every hospital we work with must be registered with its country's health authorities, use surgeons who specialise in the operation, give its price and its terms on complications in writing, and give you an English-speaking contact person. The hospital that treats you is responsible for your care, and it must have a complaints procedure. We help you deal with the hospital, and at home your GP takes over as after any operation.
Why is your help free? What's the catch?
There is no catch. The hospital that treats you pays us a referral fee; you never pay us anything, and the hospital's price is fixed in writing before you accept. You can stop at any time before you sign with the hospital.
Will the HSE really pay me back?
The Cross Border Directive is EU law, and the HSE paid 2,266 claims from Irish patients in 2024 alone. The refund is yours when the paperwork is right: the referral, the consultation, the itemised invoice and your receipt. We prepare the claim with you, and before you travel you can send the HSE a prior notification, which tells you in advance whether you are eligible and gives an indication of the amount.
Can a family member come with me, or join the calls?
Yes. A family member can join every call and meeting, be named on your Consent Form and travel with you. Their travel and hotel are your own cost.
Find out if this route can work for you
One free call, by video or phone. No commitment and no documents.
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