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Inferior turbinectomy in children
Samuel Segal1, Ephraim Eviatar, Leonard Berenholz
1Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, affiliated with Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel.
Insights
Inferior turbinectomy can safely and effectively relieve nasal obstruction in children under 10. This procedure improved breathing and reduced symptoms like snoring and mouth breathing in most young patients.
Area of Science:
- Otolaryngology
- Pediatric Surgery
Background:
- Inferior turbinectomy in children is controversial, with limited data on those under 10.
- Hypertrophied inferior turbinates commonly cause nasal obstruction in children, leading to snoring, mouth breathing, and potential sleep apnea.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the safety and efficacy of inferior turbinectomy in children under 10 years old with nasal obstruction.
Main Methods:
- A study followed 227 children under 10 who underwent inferior turbinectomy.
- 179 children experienced significant relief from nasal obstruction at one year.
- Some children also had revision adenoidectomy.
Main Results:
- 179 out of 227 children (under 10) showed significant relief from nasal obstruction one year post-surgery.
- Improved nocturnal breathing was noted in children with suspected sleep apnea.
- Children with thick nasal secretions unresponsive to antibiotics experienced relief after surgery.
- Postoperative complications were minimal and comparable to adults.
Conclusions:
- Complete inferior turbinectomy is a viable option for children under 10 with significant nasal obstruction due to inferior turbinate hypertrophy.
- The procedure offers a safe and effective solution for improving nasal breathing in this pediatric population.
Background:
Inferior turbinectomy on patients of all ages is a controversial procedure. Its effect on children has been reported little in the literature and the few studies that are available involved relatively older children, i.e., >10 years old. Nasal obstruction caused by extensive hypertrophy of the inferior turbinates is not an uncommon observation in the pediatric population. The clinical manifestations might present as snoring, noisy breathing, mouth breathing, and, possibly, sleep apnea.
Methods:
In this study, we followed 227 children <10 years of age who underwent inferior turbinectomy (27 children also underwent a revision of an earlier adenoidectomy), of whom 179 children had significant relief of nasal obstruction at the 1-year follow-up.
Results:
Nocturnal breathing was reported to be more regular and otherwise improved in the 36 children with a suspected history of sleep apnea. Forty-two of 47 children who had thick nasal secretions and did not respond to antibiotic therapy before the operation had significant relief postoperatively. Postoperative complications were few and their number did not exceed that of adults.
Conclusions:
A complete inferior turbinectomy should be considered in children <10 years of age who have hypertrophied inferior turbinates that cause major interference with nasal breathing.
