Surgical Management of Inferior Turbinate Hypertrophy

Abstract

This is a study involving 45 patients undergoing submucosal diathermy, galvanic cauterization and partial inferior turbinectomy operations done for obstructive inferior turbinate hypertrophy, not responding to medical treatment. The patients were divided in three groups randomly, each group comprising of 15 patients. Group A underwent galvanic cauterization, Group B and Group C underwent submucosal diathermy and partial inferior turbinectomy respectively. The study was conducted at ENT department of Services Hospital, Lahore which is fully equipped with latest medical facilities. The patients were selected randomly of all age groups belonging to both sexes and representing rural as well as urban population. The patients presented with complaints of nasal obstruction (100%), rhinorrhoea (66%), sneezing (44%), headache (40%) and post nasal drip (34%) mostly. The local examination findings were reduced nasal patency with inferior turbinate hypertrophy in all the patients. X- ray paranasal sinuses, water’s view was done in all the patients to rule out sinus disease besides all routine laboratory investigations. The specimens of the turbinates were subjected for histopathology to document the diagnosis and rule out any malignant transformation. All the patients were followed — up postoperatively for six months. Nearly 79% of the patients got rid of nasal obstruction after partial inferior turbinectomy, 33% after galvanic cauterization and only 17% were freed from nasal obstruction after submucosal diathermy. No case of atrophic rhinitis or ozena was seen in the present study. It has been concluded that the operation of partial inferior turbinectomy is a safe procedure in trained hands but bleeding may create a problem in a very few cases especially after inadequate packing. In the present study, the benefits after partial inferior turbinectomy overweighed the hazards of the procedure and the chief complaints of nasal obstruction was relieved in most of the cases.