[Reduction of the inferior turbinates with a microdebrider]

We evaluated the results of submucosal microdebrider turbinate reduction in patients with inferior turbinate hypertrophy.

The study included 503 patients (190 females, 313 males; mean age 28 years; range 18-68 years) who underwent turbinate reduction by a microdebrider for inferior turbinate hypertrophy. The inferior turbinates were examined by anterior rhinoscopy and nasal endoscopy before and three weeks after surgery and their size was graded from I to III. Preoperatively, 384 patients had grade II, 119 patients had grade III inferior turbinates. Of the study group, 116 patients completed a follow-up of two years.

At three weeks after surgery, none of the patients had grade III turbinates; 435 patients and 68 patients were evaluated as grade I and II, respectively. At the end of two years, none had grade III turbinates; 76 patients were grade I, 40 patients were grade II. Complaints of nasal obstruction disappeared in three weeks in 95% of patients and it did not recur in all 116 patients at the end of two years. In the early postoperative period, crusting was not observed and recovery was quick. The most common complication was mucosal tears (n=114, 22.6%). Bleeding was seen in only one patient (0.2%).

Submucosal microdebrider turbinate reduction is a safe alternative procedure and provides rapid healing with low complication rates, especially postoperative crusting.