Comparative study between partial inferior turbinotomy and microdebrider-assisted inferior turbinoplasty

The purpose of our study was to compare the inferior turbinotomy and the microdebrider-assisted inferior turbinoplasty in patients with hypertrophy of the inferior turbinate.

We carried out a retrospective review of 205 patients, 96 women and 109 men, with a mean age of 48 years, operated on for hypertrophy of the inferior turbinate between May 2005 and May 2012. Forty-seven patients were excluded from our study because in these patients, nasal obstruction was caused by a specific pathologic condition (allergy, tumors or polyps, recurrent rhinosinusitis, etc). The remaining 158 patients were randomly assigned to undergo partial inferior turbinoplasty through the use of microdebrider (group A, n = 79) or partial inferior turbinotomy (group B, n = 79). Surgical outcome was evaluated according to 4 distinct parameters: nasal endoscopic findings, nasal subjective symptoms, anterior rhinomanometry, and nasal mucociliary transport time. These evaluations were made before surgery and 1 week and 3 months after surgery. The follow-up was a minimum of 24 months and a maximum of 60 months, with a mean follow-up of 42 months.

Turbinate edema and secretions decreased significantly (P < 0.05) in groups A and B 3 months after surgery. In group A, crusting was not observed after surgery. In group B, crusting had increased significantly (P < 0.005) 1 week after surgery and then decreased significantly at the third month after surgery. Subjective nasal symptoms including nasal obstruction, sneezing, snoring, itchy nose, hyposmia, headache, and dryness were significantly improved in both groups from the third month after surgery (P < 0.05). Rhinomanometric measurements demonstrated a significant nasal flow increase at 3 months (P < 0.05). The mean nasal mucociliary transport time slightly increased in both groups 1 week after surgery, and then restabilized to preoperative values at the third-month follow-up in both groups (difference not significant).

Microdebrider-assisted inferior turbinoplasty and partial inferior turbinotomy are very effective surgical techniques for solving hypertrophy of the inferior turbinates and therefore related problems of nasal obstruction. Microdebrider-assisted inferior turbinoplasty compared to partial inferior turbinotomy ensures a greater preservation of the nasal mucosa to prevent nasal bleeding.