The effect of inferior turbinate surgery on ear symptoms

The aim of this placebo-controlled study was to evaluate the effect of various inferior turbinate surgery techniques on Eustachian tube dysfunction-related symptoms.

Outcomes were evaluated using the Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Questionnaire (ETDQ-7) and tympanometry results.

A total of 72 consecutively blinded and randomized adult patients with enlarged inferior turbinates due to persistent year-round rhinitis underwent either a radiofrequency ablation, diode laser, microdebrider-assisted inferior turbinoplasty, or sham surgery procedure. Assessments were conducted prior to surgery and 3 months subsequent to the surgery.

In the evaluation of all patients, radiofrequency ablation, microdebrider-assisted inferior turbinoplasty, and sham surgery procedures decreased the ETDQ-7 total score significantly. In a three-way analysis of covariance, there were no significant differences in the results between sham surgery and any of the active treatment procedures. Allergic sensitization, sex, and age also had no effect on the results. There were no significant changes in the pre- and postoperative amounts of abnormal tympanometry curves or in the pre- and postoperative tympanometric peak pressure values in the actively treated patients or in the sham surgery group.

The improvement of Eustachian tube dysfunction-related symptoms due to surgery of the anterior half of the inferior turbinate was found to be equal to placebo. The findings of this study do not support the use of reduction of the anterior half of the inferior turbinate as a sole procedure intended to treat the ear symptoms assessed by the ETDQ-7 questionnaire.

1b. Laryngoscope, 128:568-572, 2018.