OBJECTIVES:

Various surgical methods have been tried to relieve the symptoms of nasal obstruction in patients with inferior turbinate hypertrophy. Recently, coblation that uses the radiofrequency and microdebrider is being increasingly used in turbinate surgery. The aim of this study was to compare the long-term postoperative outcome between the coblation- and microdebrider-assisted partial turbinoplasty.

METHODS:

We selected 60 patients for this prospective study who had nasal obstruction and hypertrophied turbinate mucosa that was refractory to medical treatment. Thirty patients were treated with coblation (group 1) and 30 patients were treated with microdebrider (group 2). Postoperative changes in degree of nasal obstruction were evaluated prospectively at 3, 6, and 12 months after the procedure. A cross-sectional area of second notch and volume of nasal cavity were compared at 12 months after operation. Operation time, duration of crust formation, postnasal drip, and postoperative bleeding were also compared.

RESULTS:

Nasal obstruction was improved significantly in both groups at 3, 6, and 12 months after the procedure. However, when compared between two groups, symptom improvement was statistically significant in group 2 at 12 months after surgery. Acoustic rhinometry performed at 12 months demonstrated a significant increase of cross-sectional area of second notch and volume of nasal cavity in group 2 in comparison with group 1. There were no significant differences in degree of postnasal drip, operation time, or duration of crust formation between the two groups.

CONCLUSION:

This study suggests that microdebrider-assisted partial turbinoplasty is more effective and satisfactory in long-term relief of nasal obstruction and reduction in mucosal volume of anterior head of inferior turbinate.