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Published on: June 20, 2018
Piezo-assisted Turbinoplasty Versus Partial Turbinectomy in External Septorhinoplasty: A Prospective Comparative
Valérie Verkest1, Laura Pingnet2, Erik Fransen3
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Sint-Vincentius Hospital, GZA-Ziekenhuizen, Antwerp, Belgium. valerie_verkest@hotmail.com.
Objectives:
The purpose of this study was to compare the outcome of the piezo-assisted turbinoplasty with a partial turbinectomy technique in the treatment of chronic nasal obstruction due to inferior turbinate enlargement.
Study Design:
This is a prospective randomized single-center study in a cohort of 100 consecutive patients which underwent external septorhinoplasty and concomitant hybrid type of turbinoplasty.
Methodology:
Patients were randomly assigned into two groups. The first group included 50 patients who underwent piezo-assisted outfracturing of the inferior turbinates in combination with bipolar coagulation. The second group included 50 patients who underwent a treatment based on turbinate bipolar coagulation and partial resection of the inferior border of the turbinate. The severity of nasal obstruction was measured in both patient groups with a patient-related outcome questionnaire (NOSE) and objective measures (anterior rhinomanometry and acoustic rhinometry). Assessments were conducted prior to surgery and 3 months after the surgery.
Results:
There was a significant improvement in the values of the NOSE questionnaire with no relevant difference between the two study groups. Acoustic rhinometry and rhinomanometry also showed no statistically significant differences between the two study groups. No differences in postoperative healing were found, and postoperative complications were comparable low in both groups. However, the piezo-assisted procedure was quicker to perform with only minimal bleeding.
Conclusion:
During septorhinoplasty, the combination of thermo-coagulation with piezo-assisted turbinoplasty was as efficient as with partial turbinectomy to establish normal nasal breathing.
Level Of Evidence Iii:
This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .
