Radiofrequency is a safe and effective treatment of turbinate hypertrophy

Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of radiofrequency for reduct ion of inferior turbinate volume. Study Design: Prospective before-and-afte r trial, Methods: Fourteen patients complaining of chronic nasal obstructio n and failing to respond to medical treatment were prospectively enrolled. All patients presented with inferior turbinate hypertrophy and no septal de formity. Radiofrequency inferior turbinate tissue reduction with three punc tures in each turbinate (mean energy/puncture: 342 +/- 36 J, mean duration: 69 +/- 17 s, plateau tissue temperature: 75 +/- 6.4 degreesC), Patients we re evaluated before and on days 3, 7, and 60 after intervention. Results: N o postoperative pain or complications were reported. Evaluation of nasal ob struction, quantified by visual analogue scale, showed a significant decrea se of day time and nighttime obstruction after surgery. Acoustic rhinometry measurements showed that turbinate hypertrophy was significantly reduced i n the sitting and supine positions on day 60 after surgery. Saccharin trans it times decreased significantly on day 60 compared with preoperative measu rements. Ciliary beat frequency, measured in vitro in nasal epithelial cell s sampled from the inferior turbinate by brushing, was not significantly di fferent before surgery and on day 60 after surgery. In the same samples, ci liated cells were the most abundant epithelial cell type before and after s urgery, although in five cases, moderate numbers of squamous cells were det ected on either day 7 or day 60 after surgery. Conclusion: Radiofrequency i s a safe surgical procedure capable of reducing turbinate volume without al tering the nasal mucosa, and causing minimal discomfort for the patient.