Nose Turbinate Reduction Surgery With Advanced Technology

Pristyn Care is one of the best and largest surgery care providers in India. It has tie-ups with some of the best ENT clinics all over India to help provide advanced ear, nose, and throat treatment to all its patients at affordable prices. Additionally, Pristyn Care has a team of expert ENT specialists who perform advanced ear surgeries like turbinate reduction, tympanoplasty, myringotomy, etc., without any complications or hearing loss for the patient.

Pristyn Care also provides other auxiliary services to the patient, such as complete insurance and hospital documentation support, easy payment plans like no-cost EMI, etc. It also provides cab facility to the patient for pick up and drop off from the clinic on the day of surgery and complimentary meals during hospitalization.

Turbinate reduction is performed when a patient has swollen or enlarged turbinates due to irritation, allergies, or infection. Generally, the enlargement is temporary and can be easily resolved medically, but surgical treatment becomes necessary if the patient develops chronic turbinate swelling (turbinate hypertrophy). 

Turbinate swelling is very common and generally resolves on its own without any complications. It can occur due to – allergies, infections, weather changes, stress, medications, and hormonal changes. In some cases, turbinates can be anatomically big from birth.

The surgery is generally suggested if the patient has severe problems due to poor air flow like nasal congestion, post-nasal drip, obstructive sleep apnea, and other breathing disorders. In some cases, chronic turbinate hypertrophy can result in desiccation (dryness) of the nasal mucous lining which can affect the patient’s sense of smell.

Turbinate reduction surgery improves the overall airflow through the nasal cavity. Some of the benefits of turbinate reduction include:

• It removes the nasal obstructions to open the nasal airway and improve breathing.
• It reduces snoring and treats severe nasal allergies.
• It treats sleep apnea and nosebleeds (epistaxis) caused due to poor airflow.

In some patients, if necessary, the surgery may be combined with a septoplasty (for the treatment of a deviated nasal septum) or rhinoplasty (for the alteration of the shape and size of the nose) to provide complete relief to the patient. The surgery generally has a success rate of over 82%, but the turbinates can grow back eventually, so the effects of the treatment are not always permanent.

Diagnosis:

The treatment begins with a thorough diagnosis and physical examination to formulate the best treatment plan for the patient. The most common diagnostic tests for turbinate surgery are nasal swab culture, nasal X-ray, nasal endoscopy, nasal CT scan, etc. 

Treatment:

Based on the results of the diagnostic tests, the surgeon will prescribe either medical or surgical treatment to the patient. The first line of treatment is conservative, i.e., steroid nasal sprays and/or antihistamines. However, if they are not effective, surgery is inevitable. 

Turbinate reduction surgery is generally performed as a daycare procedure, under either general or local anesthesia – based on patient and doctor preference. The surgery takes about 10-20 minutes to complete and can be performed using a variety of techniques described below. Once the surgery is done, the patient is moved to a recovery room for observation.

Most patients are discharged on the same day if there are no postoperative complications. However, it may not be safe to drive on your own, so make sure you arrange for someone to drive you home after the surgery. You can resume work and your everyday activities on the next day, but complete recovery can take up to six months. 

There may be a little pain and discomfort after the surgery, but it is generally managed through medications. You may need absorbent nasal packing during the first week to keep nasal tissues in place.

You should elevate your head while sleeping and wear comfortable clothes during the first few days to ease postoperative swelling. Avoid strenuous activities and blowing your nose too hard during the recovery period to prevent bleeding and swelling.

You may also have a little crusting on the nose due to nasal discharge that will last around 3 weeks, but you can use saline nasal spray or a cool mist humidifier to manage it. You can also apply petroleum jelly around the nose to relieve dryness and crustiness.

Though generally very safe, turbinate reduction surgery can result in the following complications:

• Anesthesia-related complications
• Empty nose syndrome – the patient can’t feel air flowing through the nasal passages.
• Chronic nasal dryness
• Nosebleeds
• Nasal dryness and crustiness
• Infection 
• Regrowth of turbinates

Make sure you discuss all possible complications with your surgeon before undergoing the surgery. Such complications are more common in invasive procedures and are very rare.