How I Do It: Inferior Turbinectomy: Modified Techniques for Submucosal Resection

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Surgical Innovation

Background:

• Inferior turbinate hypertrophy is a common cause of nasal obstruction.
• Existing turbinate reduction techniques, like submucosal resection, are effective but have limitations.
• There is a need for improved surgical methods to reduce turbinate volume while minimizing complications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe and evaluate a novel surgical technique for inferior turbinate reduction.
• To assess the effectiveness of this technique in reducing turbinate volume and improving nasal obstruction symptoms.
• To evaluate postoperative outcomes, specifically bleeding and crusting.

Main Methods:

• The study involved 18 consecutive patients undergoing the novel inferior turbinate reduction technique.
• The procedure details include specific approaches to local injection, incision, periosteal exposure, bone outfracture, mucosal trimming, and suturing.
• Pre and postoperative Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) scores were recorded, along with assessments of bleeding and crusting.

Main Results:

• A significant improvement in NOSE scores was observed, decreasing from 67.8 ± 14.8 preoperatively to 16.1 ± 13.0 postoperatively (P = .0002).
• No instances of postoperative bleeding were reported.
• Minor suture thread crusting was noted in 13 patients, indicating a low complication rate.

Conclusions:

• The novel surgical technique effectively reduces inferior turbinate volume.
• This technique leads to significant improvements in nasal obstruction symptoms.
• The procedure offers enhanced postoperative quality with minimal bleeding and crusting.