Long-term efficacy of our surgical approach to turbinate hypertrophy

In our department, chronically enlarged inferior turbinates (not responding to adequate medical therapy) are treated with the CO2-laser or by partial inferior turbinoplasty. In this work, the latter technique is described and the short- and long-term results (up to 9 years of follow-up) are evaluated. Relief of nasal obstruction was reported by 93.5% of the patients. There was a good correlation between this success rate and the objective measurements of the nasal resistance by active anterior rhinomanometry. Rhinorrhea or postnasal drip was still present in 32.5%. Atrophic changes of the nasal mucosa were not observed in any of the patients. Early postoperative epistaxis was found in 6.5% of the patients. Late postoperative epistaxis did not occur.