A Study of Comparison of Outcomes of Submucous Diathermy, Coblation and Micro-debrider Assisted Inferior Turbinoplasty in Patients Having Inferior Turbinate Hypertrophy

Abstract

The cause of nasal obstruction in most of the patients is either nasal septal deviation or turbinate hypertrophy owing to vasomotor or perennial allergic rhinitis. Most cases of hypertrophic turbinate are usually mild and respond to antihistamine therapy, local decongestions, or allergy desensitization; however, surgery is required in some cases. In our present study, three surgical methods were used for inferior turbinoplasty i.e. Sub-mucous Diathermy, Coblation and Micro-debrider and patients were divided randomly in these groups. The efficacy and outcomes of these methods was compared on the basis of subjective and objective relief of symptoms and their safety, recurrence and post-operative morbidity. Out of 45 patients, highest number of patients belonged to 20–40 years of age with the mean age of 28.7 years and male female ration 0.78:1. All the patients were evaluated on the basis of preoperative Endoscopic grading of inferior turbinate and SNOT22 symptom scores (Sino Nasal Outcome Test 22), intra-operative timing and bleeding and post-operative pain, crusting, SNOT22 scores (Sino Nasal Outcome Test 22) and Endoscopic grading improvement in inferior turbinate. On comparing all the above methods, we found that Coblation and Micro- debrider were more or less equally effective and better than Sub-mucous diathermy for inferior turbinoplasty. Submucous diathermy has least benefits, still most commonly used method because of its simplicity, conventionality and least cost factor while other two methods need capital investment and higher learning curve of the surgeon.