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Topical Anesthesia Versus Submucosal Injection for Radiofrequency Turbinoplasty: Same Benefit but without Patient’s Pain. A Comparative Study

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Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study aimed at comparing the anesthetic efficacy of lidocaine injection versus pledgets soaked in lidocaine and epinephrine during radiosurgery of inferior turbinates. The study prospectively enrolled 120 outbound patients, who were randomly assigned to group 1 -anaesthesia with tampon soaked in lidocaine and adrenaline- or group 2 -anesthesia with tampon followed by lidocaine and adrenaline injection. The following parameters were evaluated by a visual analogue scale 1 h after surgery: pain, anxiety, chocking sensation and difficulty swallowing. Nasal obstruction, rhinorrhea, sneezing, headache and inferior turbinate size were evaluated preoperatively (T0), after 1 (T1), 2 (T2) and 3 months (T3) to surgery. The data collected were analyzed by statistic tests. Group 1 showed lesser pain than group 2 during the procedure (p < 0.01); no statistically significant differences were observed for anxiety, chocking sensation and difficulty swallowing. All patients, independently from the belonging group, significantly improved the nasal symptoms comparing T0 and T1 (p < 0.01), T2 (p < 0.01) and T3 (p < 0.01), without statistically significant differences among the groups. Radiofrequency turbinoplasty allowed to all patients to reduce the turbinates hypertrophy. Local anaesthesia with tampon allowed to obtain the same results the injective anaesthesia in term of surgical outcomes; the use of tampon allowed patients did not experience pain.

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Funding

This research received no external funding.

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Author notes

  1. Antonio Alberto Maria Giunta and Filippo Cianchetta are equal contribution as first author.

  2. Giampietro Ricci and Arianna Di Stadio are equal contribution as senior author.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Otorhinolaryngology Department, Santa Maria Hospital of Terni, Terni, 05100, Italy

    Antonio Alberto Maria Giunta & Luca Liberati

  2. Otorhinolaryngology Department, University of Perugia, Perugia, 06129, Italy

    Filippo Cianchetta & Giampietro Ricci

  3. Otorhinolaryngology Department, Fatebenefratelli Isola Tiberina Hospital, Rome, 00186, Italy

    Pietro De Luca

  4. GF Ingrassia Department, Otolaryngology Unit, University of Catania, Catania, 95121, Italy

    Arianna Di Stadio

Authors
  1. Antonio Alberto Maria Giunta
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  2. Filippo Cianchetta
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  3. Luca Liberati
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  4. Pietro De Luca
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Correspondence to Giampietro Ricci or Arianna Di Stadio.

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Giunta, A., Cianchetta, F., Liberati, L. et al. Topical Anesthesia Versus Submucosal Injection for Radiofrequency Turbinoplasty: Same Benefit but without Patient’s Pain. A Comparative Study. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12070-024-04716-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12070-024-04716-6

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