Radiofrequency Inferior Turbinate Reduction Improves Smell Ability of Patients with Chronic Rhinitis and Inferior Turbinate Hypertrophy

Abstract

Radiofrequency inferior turbinate reduction (RFITR) of inferior turbinate hypertrophy (ITH) is an effective way to treat patients with intractable nasal mucosal obstruction. The objective of this study was to assess smell ability, nasal symptoms, inferior turbinate grading (ITG), peak nasal inspiratory flow (PNIF) of patients with chronic rhinitis (CR), and ITH before and after RFITR. Patients with CR and ITH, aged 18–60 years, who underwent RFITR, were prospectively recruited. Smell ability (measured by smell detection threshold [SDT]), visual analog scale (VAS) of nasal symptoms, ITG, and PNIF before and 6–10 weeks after RFITR were compared. Forty-eight subjects were included. All nasal symptoms were significantly decreased after RFITR. After surgery, SDT (tested by phenyl ethyl alcohol) was worsened in 7 patients (14.6%), improved in 8 patients (16.7%), and did not change in 33 patients (68.7%). SDT after RFITR of six patients in the worsened SDT group were still within normal range (> −6.5). There was only one patient whose SDT changed from normosmia to mild hyposmia (−7.25 to −5.38). In the improved SDT group, two of eight patients had obviously better SDT after RFITR, which changed from moderate hyposmia to normosmia (−3.65 to −10; −3.73 to −10), whereas six of eight patients had little better SDT after RFITR. RFITR also significantly reduced ITG and improved PNIF. In conclusion, the treatment of patients with CR and ITH with RFITR significantly improved PNIF, ITG, and nasal symptoms assessed by VAS, although SDT after RFITR could be the same or improved or worsened.

Therapeutic Effects of Radiofrequency and Intranasal Corticosteroid on Rhinomanometry in Patients With Inferior Turbinate Hypertrophy

“…The study by Assanasen et al just as the present study, found radiofrequency to boost nasal airflow in rhinomanometry and reduce symptoms in the tenth week after the intervention. This study also suggested that the patients' olfactory sensitivity significantly improved in the tenth week (28). The results of the current study, in addition to asserting the previous findings, revealed that radiofrequency was more effective than nasal corticosteroid spray in controlling the symptoms of patients with ITH due to allergic rhinitis.…”

Outcomes of Cadaveric Allograft versus Autologous Cartilage Graft in Functional Septorhinoplasty

“…Inferior turbinate reductions are often performed concurrently, and these data were also collected given the potential to affect NOSE scores postoperatively. 22…”

Role of Radio Frequency in the Management of Inferior Turbinate Hypertrophy

“…Apart from nasal obstruction we also noticed that severity of other symptoms like nasal itching, excessive sneezing, rhinorrhoea, headache, snoring, sense of smell are improved to certain extent as mentioned in other studies. (5,10,11) CONCLUSION: our one year experience of surgical management of the inferior turbinate with radio frequency enables us to state that in our opinion the procedure is relatively simple, fast-it lasts for a few minutes, practically no intra and post-operative complications, well tolerated by the patient, carried out as a day care surgery with satisfactory results.…”