Inferior nasal turbinate wound healing after submucosal radiofrequency tissue ablation and monopolar electrocautery: Histologic study in a sheep model

Abstract

RTA is more effective (although not significantly) and less invasive than MEC for INT volume reduction. Tissue damage and wound healing were dominated by inflammation and associated epithelial cell necrosis in MEC and by a disturbance in the INT submucosal microcirculation in RTA in the studied sheep model.

Radiofrequency volumetric tissue reduction of the inferior turbinate in a sheep model

“…Replacement of venous sinusoids and loose connective tissue with fibrosis prevents the engorgement of turbinate tissue, which causes nasal obstruction. This finding confirms the limited data available in the literature from sheep and human studies of turbinate reduction histopathology 4, 16, 20, 21…”

“…The relative scarcity of histopathologic data reflects the practical and ethical concerns of obtaining turbinate tissue from patients following a minimally invasive endonasal turbinate reduction procedure. The sheep model has been investigated for the study of endonasal procedures and is particularly useful for assessing histopathology and wound healing of the sinonasal mucosa 13–16. This model accommodates the use of standard endoscopic sinus surgery equipment, allowing for accurate simulation of clinical procedures.…”

A model of canine tracheal stenosis induced by radiofrequency cauterization

“…Radiofrequency operation and electrocautery are both electrosurgical techniques that damage the tissue by thermal lesion and the use of radiofrequency has all the advantages of electrocautery. However, there are also some remarkable differences, such as the modus of injury, temperature of tissue and extensive injury to the adjacent tissue [6,8,9]. The advantages of radiofrequency include low target tissue temperature (60-90 8C), localized heat dissipation, and limited tissue injury.…”

“…limited tissue injury [8,9]. We hypothesised that the use of radiofrequency was a suitable method to induce tracheal stenosis and may avoid excessive injury to the tracheal membranes.…”

A Comparative Study of Radiofrequency Assisted Versus Microdebrider Assisted Turbinoplasty in Cases of Inferior Turbinate Hypertrophy

“…Temperature induced by electrocautery and laser surgery are significantly higher (750-900°C) than that required for cell death and this results in significant heat propagation. RF is considered to be more accurate, with minimal injury to collateral tissue [22][23][24].…”