Comparison of Carbon Dioxide and Neodymium: Yttrium-Aluminum-Garnet Lasers in Surgery of the Inferior Turbinate

At the Department of Otorhinolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery of the University of Kiel, 533 patients with hyperplastic inferior turbinates were treated between 1987 and 1994 with various carbon dioxide (CO2) and neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd:YAG) laser techniques. We report on the therapeutic results of both types of laser turbinectomy and compare their long-term results with those of submucosal diathermy. Among the different techniques, we preferred the following approaches. The CO2 laser technique involved the application of a few laser spots (laser energy density 6,100 J/cm2 per lesion) to the head of the turbinate under the operating microscope. In the Nd: YAG laser procedure, diffuse, low-power irradiation (laser energy density < 53 kJ/cm2) of the entire concha was performed under endoscopic control. The CO2 laser procedure involved little bleeding and hardly any pain. It produced a positive effect after only a few days and required no follow-up treatment. The success of Nd: YAG laser treatment, by contrast, only became evident after weeks or months, due to the slow scarring process. Compared to submucosal diathermy, both laser methods produced better long-term results. Two years postoperatively, the overall success rate, as defined by patient satisfaction, was 79.6% for the CO2 laser, 68.3% for the Nd: YAG laser, and 36% for submucosal diathermy.