Middle turbinate medialization for improved access during endoscopic sinus surgery

Proper management of the middle turbinate in endoscopic sinus surgery is often a topic of debate. Most authors, however, agree in the need to prevent lateralization. We describe our preferred technique and stress the timing of the medialization procedure.

The middle turbinates are sutured to the nasal septum at the beginning of the operation. This allows optimal access to the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses during the entirety of the operation.

Multiple techniques have been described to prevent lateralization of the middle turbinate. It is our opinion that implementing the proposed technique at the start of the surgery allows for optimal exposure during the operation.