Nasal soft tissue obstruction improvement after septoplasty without turbinectomy

The objective of the study was to evaluate the outcome of septoplasty without inferior turbinectomy in patients with septum deviation and nasal obstruction. After exclusion of allergic rhinitis, this study included 30 patients with deviated nasal septum and hypertrophied inferior nasal turbinate who were prepared for septoplasty without turbinectomy. After full history taking and complete otorhinological examination, all patients graded their extent of obstruction using the Nasal Obstruction Symptoms Evaluation scale and underwent CT scans to evaluate the side and shape of deviation, thickness of the medial and lateral mucosa and inferior conchal bone on both the concave and convex sides. Postoperative (PO) follow-up consisted of evaluation of surgical outcome, nasal obstruction grading and patient's satisfaction. CT imaging was repeated for evaluation of the previous items and to compare with preoperative data. All surgeries were conducted smoothly without intraoperative complications and all were managed as day surgery. The mean duration of follow-up was 20.1 ± 4.4 months. All patients showed progressive significant decline of nasal obstruction symptoms and only eight patients still had mild symptoms. Patients' satisfaction scores showed significant progressive increase reaching a peak at the 12th month. Preoperative CT confirmed the presence of hypertrophied mucosa on the concave septal side with significantly thicker medial and non-significantly thicker lateral mucosa on the concave side compared to the convex side. At the 12th month PO, mean medial mucosal thickness significantly decreased on the concave side with significant increase on the convex side, but the effect was significantly pronounced on the concave side. Mean lateral mucosal thickness was significantly decreased on the concave and non-significantly increased on the convex side. Conchal bone thickness showed non-significant change despite the diminution on both sides In the absence of allergic rhinitis, septoplasty without turbinectomy significantly improves nasal obstruction-related manifestations and approaches high patient satisfaction with associated reduction of hypertrophied mucosa and spares turbinectomy-related complications.