INFERIOR TURBINOPLASTY: COMPARISON BETWEEN THE DIRECT VISION AND NASAL ENDOSCOPIC TECHNIQUES

The hypertrophy of inferior turbinates is considered one of the main causes of nasal obstruction. There are clinical and surgical options for treatment. If clinical control fails, the volumetric reduction of those structures is usually recommended. Theendoscopic approach is considered safe, as it enables a comprehensive assessment of the extent of the turbinate anatomy and effective hemostasis. Turbinoplasty is a procedure that requires manual skill and has the advantages of non-exposure of raw area, less chance of bleeding and less crusting. This study aimed to compare the postoperative outcome of patients who underwent inferior turbinoplasty under direct vision and via nasal endoscopy, through a prospective randomized study conducted at the IPO hospital (Instituto Paranaense de Otorrinolaringologia, Curitiba/PR, Brazil). In this study, 17 patients were evaluated and divided into two groups according to the surgical technique used. Both groups underwent flexible nasofibroscopy on the 15th and 30th day postoperatively, were asked if they experienced cacosmia, and if there was any need for nasal packing during the period. Although the video technique offers a broad view of the nasal anatomy and of the inferior turbinates, it demands more adequate material and more experience from the surgeon, and its surgical time is longer. By considering these results, we can conclude that there are no statistical differences between the postoperative results of the two turbinoplasty techniques.