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Comparison of ultrasound turbinate reduction, radiofrequency tissue ablation and submucosal cauterization in inferior turbinate hypertrophy

  • Rhinology
  • Published:
European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Chronic nasal obstruction owed to chronic hypertrophic rhinitis is a common cause of nasal airway obstruction. In cases unresponsive to conservative treatment, various surgical techniques are commonly performed, but the issue of the optimal surgical procedure is still controversial. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of ultrasound treatment of the hypertrophied inferior turbinates, which is a technique recently applied in rhinologic surgery. We aimed, also, to compare this method with the radiofrequency cold coblation turbinate reduction and the traditional submucosal monopolar inferior turbinate cauterization. We studied prospectively 60 patients with chronic hypertrophic rhinitis of nonallergic etiology, who underwent different surgical methods of turbinate reduction, divided into two groups: (1) in 30 patients, inferior turbinate volume reduction using ultrasound procedure on the left side and monopolar diathermy on the right was performed; (2) in 30 patients, radiofrequency coblation technique on the left side and ultrasound turbinate reduction on the right side was undertaken. Subjective evaluation of nasal obstruction and pain was performed using visual analog scales and objective evaluation of the surgical outcome was obtained using active anterior rhinomanometry and acoustic rhinometry. Examinations were performed preoperatively, and 1, 3 and 6 months after surgery. Both subjective and objective evaluation showed significant postoperative improvement in all cases. The best results were obtained with the ultrasound procedure, and second with the radiofrequency technique. The least improvement was observed in the electrocautery group, although its results did not differ significantly from the radiofrequency group. It may be, thus, concluded that ultrasound turbinate reduction is an effective and safe procedure for the management of chronic hypertrophic rhinitis, in patients failing to respond to medical treatment. Using this method, better results were obtained in decreasing subjective symptoms and nasal obstruction, in comparison with radiofrequency and electrocautery.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. ENT Department, “G.Genimmatas” General Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece

    George Gindros & Ilias Kantas

  2. ENT Department, Tzanion General Hospital of Piraeus, Piraeus, Greece

    Dimitrios G. Balatsouras

  3. Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece

    Aikaterini Kaidoglou

  4. ENT Department, Athens National University, Hippokration Hospital, Athens, Greece

    Dimitris Kandiloros

  5. 23 Achaion Str, Agia Paraskevi, 15343, Athens, Greece

    Dimitrios G. Balatsouras

Authors
  1. George Gindros
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  2. Ilias Kantas
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  3. Dimitrios G. Balatsouras
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  4. Aikaterini Kaidoglou
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  5. Dimitris Kandiloros
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dimitrios G. Balatsouras.

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Gindros, G., Kantas, I., Balatsouras, D.G. et al. Comparison of ultrasound turbinate reduction, radiofrequency tissue ablation and submucosal cauterization in inferior turbinate hypertrophy. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 267, 1727–1733 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-010-1260-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-010-1260-9

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