Functional nasal surgery in the office-based setting.

Abstract

Nasal obstruction is a very common problem often addressed by functional nasal surgery. Increasingly, these procedures are being performed in the office setting secondary to decreased down time, cost, and obviation of general anesthesia. Our goal with this review is to discuss how to appropriately select patients for office-based procedures, what procedures may be considered, and current outcomes with in-office functional nasal surgery. PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar. Research databases were searched for articles discussing techniques for performing functional nasal surgery in an office setting, and outcomes of various in-office functional nasal procedures. Studies found and included in this review discuss many aspects of office-based functional nasal surgery, including practical points on patient selection and office set-up, what procedures can safely be performed, and outcomes of different techniques to address specific problems. Broadly, procedures amenable to performance in the office address the internal and external nasal valves, the nasal septum, and the inferior turbinates. A wide range of techniques to aaddress the nasal valves, septum, and inferior turbinates can be performed in a safe and effective manner without the need for an operative suite.