Surgical and Regenerative Treatment Options for Empty Nose Syndrome: A Systematic Review

Patients with empty nose syndrome typically experience paradoxical nasal congestion, nasal dryness, epistaxis, and suffocation. Conservative management is generally preferred for empty nose syndrome. However, some patients continue to experience persistent symptoms. When symptoms do not resolve, surgical options are considered. Therefore, we reviewed the surgical and regenerative treatment options for empty nose syndrome.

PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials, and Google Scholar were searched from the earliest date provided in the database until December 2022. This review included studies that assessed treatment outcomes using patient symptom scores, including the Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-20, -22, and -25) and the Empty Nose Syndrome 6-Item Questionnaire, supplemented by various clinical examinations.

Twenty-eight studies were analyzed. Various materials were utilized, including submucosal injectable materials, allografts/xenografts/cadaveric implants, autologous implants, and synthetic implants. The polyethylene implant was the most commonly used (23.3%), followed by autologous, homologous, or cadaveric costal cartilage (20%). The anterior-inferior lateral nasal wall was the most frequent site of administration. Most studies indicated that surgical intervention led to significant improvements in clinical outcomes, as evidenced by endoscopic exams, acoustic rhinometry, and computed tomography scans, along with patient-reported enhancements in nasal symptoms, psychological well-being, and overall health-related quality of life. However, several studies found no improvement in certain psychological-related questionnaires or saccharin transit times. The average follow-up duration was 12.0 months (range, 2.0-27.6 months). Only two studies reported postoperative adverse effects.

Several surgical options and recent tissue regeneration techniques have demonstrated efficacy in treating empty nose syndrome. However, more detailed investigations involving a larger number of participants and a randomized control study are necessary to establish a standardized treatment protocol for patients with empty nose syndrome.