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Effectiveness of submucosal turbinoplasty in refractory obstructive rhinitis: a prospective comparative trial

  • Rhinology
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Abstract

Objective

Refractory inferior turbinate hypertrophy requires a surgical approach to address symptomatic complaints. Submucosal approaches demonstrated their efficacy in restoring respiratory function and respecting the nasal mucosa. Microdebrider-assisted turbinoplasty (MAT) tools effectively reduces the soft tissue, exploiting a very different principle from the kinetic energy of radiofrequency. Thus, we aimed to compare the microdebrider-assisted turbinoplasty and the quantum molecular resonance (QMR) to assess patients' perspectives and respiratory outcomes.

Methods

Subjects with persistent bilateral nasal blockage due to inferior turbinates hypertrophy were prospectively recruited from the University Medical Center. We randomly assigned the patients to each treatment and performed symptom evaluation via the visual analog score and endoscopic assessment at baseline and 30-, 90-, and 180-day post-treatment.

Results

Seventy participants completed the evaluations, 35 in MAT and 35 in the QMR group. Nasal complaints were significantly reduced after 1 month using both methods. Although the MAT group reported higher postoperative bleeding and edema than QMR group, similar significant reductions were seen for turbinate size at long-term follow-up. Conversely, the MAT group reported greater VAS outcomes than QMR from the first postoperative month. In addition, MAT showed a longer operating time, although this difference was not statistically significant (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

MAT allows effective control of nasal symptoms by reducing the size of turbinates in patients with lower turbinate hypertrophy. Although QMR may cause fewer postoperative complications, functional results are comparable to long-term follow-up.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies “GF Ingrassia”, ENT Section, University of Catania, Catania, Italy

    Antonino Maniaci, Ignazio La Mantia, Angelo Ingrassia, Francesco Nocera & Salvatore Cocuzza

  2. Rhinology Study Group of the Young-Otolaryngologists of the International Federations of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (YO-IFOS), Paris, France

    Antonino Maniaci, Jerome Rene Lechien & Christian Calvo-Henriquez

  3. Service of Otolaryngology, Foch Hospital, University of Paris Saclay, Paris, France

    Jerome Rene Lechien

  4. Service of Otolaryngology, Hospital Complex of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain

    Christian Calvo-Henriquez

  5. Department of Head-Neck Surgery, Otolaryngology, Head-Neck, and Oral Surgery Unit, Morgagni Pierantoni Hospital, Forlì, Italy

    Giannicola Iannella

  6. Department of ‘Organi di Senso’, University “Sapienza”, Rome, Italy

    Giannicola Iannella

  7. Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Careggi University Hospital, Largo Brambilla, 3, 50134, Florence, Italy

    Luca Giovanni Locatello

  8. Otolaryngology Unit, Head and Neck Department, ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo, Milan, Italy

    Alberto Maria Saibene

  9. Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Western University, London, ON, Canada

    Sowerby J. Leigh

  10. Section of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Padova, Treviso, Italy

    Giacomo Spinato

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  1. Antonino Maniaci
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  2. Jerome Rene Lechien
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  3. Ignazio La Mantia
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  9. Angelo Ingrassia
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  11. Giacomo Spinato
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  12. Salvatore Cocuzza
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Correspondence to Antonino Maniaci.

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Maniaci, A., Lechien, J.R., La Mantia, I. et al. Effectiveness of submucosal turbinoplasty in refractory obstructive rhinitis: a prospective comparative trial. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 279, 4397–4406 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-022-07267-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-022-07267-0

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