Long-term follow-up of children after submucosal diathermy to the inferior turbinate for rhinitis

Abstract

This study highlights some benefit to inferior turbinate study in children by using the GCBI. Improved benefit was not demonstrated significantly in older or younger children or in RAST positive or negative children. Further studies, by means of a randomised controlled trial are required to provide a better level of evidence for this procedure.

Inferior Turbinate Hypertrophy: Review and Graduated Approach to Surgical Management

“…In addition to nasal airway obstruction, IT surgery has been implicated as a management option for patients that suffer from rhinitis that is refractory to medication or for patients that are trying to reduce medication usage. 63–66 There have been increasing studies in the literature exploring advantages of IT surgery on nonobstructive symptoms of rhinitis with several studies showing improvements in nasal drainage and even allergic symptoms of itching and sneezing. The basis for recommending surgery is that the IT offers a large mucosal surface through which the host interacts with the environment; some argue that reducing this area could alter this immune/allergic interaction.…”

Utility of Inferior Turbinoplasty for the Treatment of Nasal Obstruction in Children

“…5 Of the prior studies showing a benefit of IT in the pediatric population, most did not control for concurrent airway procedures, making it difficult to assess the efficacy of the turbinate reduction alone. 1,2,[6][7][8][9] A few studies [10][11][12][13] have limited their study population to children undergoing inferior turbinate reduction alone, but these studies have small sample sizes and short followup. The present study aimed to assess the outcomes of pediatric patients undergoing isolated IT.…”

Inferior Turbinate Hypertrophy: A Review of the Evolution of Management in Children

“…23 Meanwhile, Montgomery et al found relief of symptoms in 51% of patients at 6-year follow-up and comparatively lower rates of postoperative epistaxis (13%), anosmia (6%), and facial pain (4%). 24 The evidence for durational efficacy as well as severity of complications is similarly mixed in adult studies. [25][26][27] Despite these outcomes, submucosal diathermy has been historically associated with rapid healing and early restoration of mucosal function and was one of the most common surgical methods for ITH reduction in children in the 1990s before steadily declining in practice with the introduction of other techniques.…”