The Use of Nd: YAG Laser for Inferior Turbinectomy, A comparative Study

Nasal obstruction resulting from inferior turbinate hypertrophy (ITH) was treated with Nd YAG laser inferior turbinectomy (Laser IT). The effectiveness of the procedure was assessed and compared with both Functional Endoscopic turbinoplasty (Turbinoplasty) and conventional partial turbinectomy (Conventional IT). Materials and methods: A retrospective analytic study was carried out for 53 patients suffering inferior turbinate hypertrophy. Twenty patients underwent Nd: YAG Laser IT (Group 1), 24 patients underwent Turbinoplasy (Group2) and 9 patients underwent Conventional IT (Group3). Improvement in nasal symptoms and signs were assessed. Intraoperative bleeding, as well as hospital stay and postoperative medications and instrumentation, were compared between the three groups. Results: The symptoms of sneezing, hyposmia, and rhinorhoea were significantly reduced postoperatively among patients in the three groups and there were no differences statistically between them. Nd YAG Laser turbinectomy group showed marked reduction in blood loss (Average = 12 ml/patient) compared to the Turbinoplasy group (average = 181ml/patient) and Conventional IT group (average 201 ml/patient). Hospital stay was much less in laser IT group (average =0.05 days) compared to group 2 (1.2 days) and group 3 (1.3 days). Only one patient in laser IT group needed nasal packing whereas all patients in the other two groups needed nasal packing routinely. Conclusions: Nd YAG laser IT was effective in reducing the symptoms and signs of nasal obstruction, as well as other nasal symptoms without significant complications. Nd: YAG laser is recommended as an alternative method, when applicable in treating patients with nasal obstruction resulting from hypertrophied inferior turbinate.