BACKGROUND Nasal obstruction secondary to inferior turbinate hypertrophy significantly affects the quality of life. Patients refractory to medical treatment are taken up for surgery. Laser turbinate reduction is an effective and simple method for treatment of nasal obstruction due to inferior turbinate hypertrophy. Only a few studies reported on the outcome of laser inferior turbinate reduction in India. The present study was done to assess the clinical outcome of laser inferior turbinate reduction in patients with nasal obstruction due to inferior turbinate hypertrophy. METHODS This prospective observational study was done in 31 patients (18 – 60 years) with nasal obstruction due to inferior turbinate hypertrophy refractory to medical management who underwent laser inferior turbinate reduction in ENT Department, Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram from December 2017 to September 2019. RESULTS All patients had bilateral inferior turbinate hypertrophy. 21 out of 31 patients had allergic rhinitis and rest had non-allergic rhinitis. Pre-operatively most patients had symptom score between 15 and 20. After CO2 laser inferior turbinate reduction at the end of 3 months of follow up, subjective assessment by symptom scoring confirmed by objective assessment by flowmetry 29 out of 31 patients had good outcome with relief from nasal obstruction. The success rate was more in nonallergic rhinitis (100 %) than the allergic rhinitis group (90.47 %). CONCLUSIONS CO2 laser inferior turbinate reduction is an effective procedure to relieve nasal obstruction in patients with inferior turbinate hypertrophy refractory to medical treatment, with minimal complications. Post-procedure on follow up significant number of patients had relief from hyposmia, sneezing and running nose. KEYWORDS Nasal Obstruction, Peak Nasal Inspiratory Flowmetry, Symptom Scoring, CO2 Laser, Outcome
Septic pulmonary embolism after septoplasty and inferior turbinate reduction, a rare complication
