The value of intranasal splints after partial inferior turbinectomy

To assess the value of using the intranasal septal splint after partial inferior turbinectomy (PIT) surgery. Prospective, randomized comparative study. The study was conducted over a period of 2 years from January 2012 to January 2014 at Minia University hospital, Minia, Egypt. A total of 100 patients underwent bilateral PIT. They were randomly divided into 2 groups. Group A included 50 patients had PIT with intranasal splints and group B included 50 patients had PIT without splints. A comparison was made between the 2 groups regarding the postoperative pain, degree of nasal obstruction and the degree of tissue healing and adhesions formation at 2 time points (2 and 4 weeks postoperatively). At 2 weeks postoperatively: visual analogue score (VAS) for the pain was 5 in group A versus 2.1 in group B (P = 0.01), VAS for nasal obstruction was 6 in group A versus 5 in group B (P = 0.328), 70 % of patients had good healing in group A versus 24 % in group B (P = 0.02). At 4 weeks postoperatively: VAS for the pain was 1.5 in group A versus 1.8 in group B (P = 0.423), VAS for nasal obstruction was 7 in group A versus 6 in group B (P = 0.353), 80 % of patients had good healing in group A versus 54 % in group B (P = 0.03). The use intranasal septal splints after PIT without septal surgery can cause increased postoperative pain in the short term follow-up period with significant evidence of decreasing rates of intranasal adhesions.