Post-operative clinical and radiological assessment after submucosal resection of inferior turbinate and partial inferior turbinectomy

Abstract
Background: Hypertrophied inferior turbinates, commonly caused by allergic rhinitis, cause nasal obstruction. Aim of this study: This study aimed to evaluate nasal patency following submucosal resection of the inferior turbinate as a mucosa and bone-preserving method for reducing the size of the hypertrophied inferior turbinate, in comparison with the traditional method (partial inferior turbinectomy). Patient and methods: This study was performed on patients with moderate to severe turbinate hypertrophy, selected from our ear, nose, and throat outpatient clinic, during March 2018 to March 2020. Patients were divided into GROUP I (n = 40; 25 males and 15 females), subjected to microdebridement submucosal turbinoplasty, and GROUP II (n = 40; 22 males and 18 females), subjected to traditional partial inferior turbinectomy. Result: There was a statistically significant decrease in mean nasal obstruction scores and a significant increase in nasal cavity space distance at three levels of the inferior turbinate after 6 months (P < 0.05),. Rhinorrhea and sneezing decreased significantly in both groups after 6 months (P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference between the groups in terms. There was significantly more post-operative bleeding, Crustations, and atrophic rhinitis in the GROUP II than in GROUP I in patients subjected to the traditional partial turbinectomy. Conclusion: These results highlight the superiority of microdebridement to traditional turbinectomy for the management of chronic nasal obstruction, as it demonstrated the highest efficacy and least complications.