Effectiveness of submucosal turbinoplasty in refractory obstructive rhinitis: a prospective comparative trial

Refractory inferior turbinate hypertrophy requires a surgical approach to address symptomatic complaints. Submucosal approaches demonstrated their efficacy in restoring respiratory function and respecting the nasal mucosa. Microdebrider-assisted turbinoplasty (MAT) tools effectively reduces the soft tissue, exploiting a very different principle from the kinetic energy of radiofrequency. Thus, we aimed to compare the microdebrider-assisted turbinoplasty and the quantum molecular resonance (QMR) to assess patients' perspectives and respiratory outcomes.

Subjects with persistent bilateral nasal blockage due to inferior turbinates hypertrophy were prospectively recruited from the University Medical Center. We randomly assigned the patients to each treatment and performed symptom evaluation via the visual analog score and endoscopic assessment at baseline and 30-, 90-, and 180-day post-treatment.

Seventy participants completed the evaluations, 35 in MAT and 35 in the QMR group. Nasal complaints were significantly reduced after 1 month using both methods. Although the MAT group reported higher postoperative bleeding and edema than QMR group, similar significant reductions were seen for turbinate size at long-term follow-up. Conversely, the MAT group reported greater VAS outcomes than QMR from the first postoperative month. In addition, MAT showed a longer operating time, although this difference was not statistically significant (p < 0.05).

MAT allows effective control of nasal symptoms by reducing the size of turbinates in patients with lower turbinate hypertrophy. Although QMR may cause fewer postoperative complications, functional results are comparable to long-term follow-up.