Comparative Study between Electrical Submucosal Diathermy and Diode Laser in Treatment of Nasal Obstruction Due to Inferior Turbinate Hypertrophy

Abstract

Nasal blockage is one of the common complaints that one its causes is inferior turbinate hypertrophy, turbinate reduction surgeries aim to relief this hypertrophy.We compared the short term results of a new technique ( Laser assisted turbinoplasty) and an old one ( submucosal diathermy of the inferior turbinate).

Aim: A prospective randomized comparative clinical study was designed to clarity the effect, outcome and prognosis betweenDiode laser assisted inferior turbinoplasty (DLT) and submucosal electrical diathermy (SMD) of the inferior turbinate.

Patients and methods: This study was conducted at department of otolaryngology in Al-Hilla Teaching General Hospital over a period of one years from from December 2018 to Augast 2019. It was included 31patients having nasal obstruction due to inferior turbinate hypertrophy not responding to medical therapy randomly distributed to undergo either SMD or DLT. Comparisons were made between pre and postoperative symptoms scores and endoscopic scores of nasal patency.

Results: Both techniques were effective in reducing nasal blockage but the results of DLT were more predictable and controllable during surgery. The most commonly observed post-operative complication was crustation and dryness developed in 10/16 patients after DLT and in 15/15 patients after SMD.

Conclusion: Based on our study ,DLT is a better substitution of the classic SMD.