Efficacy of inferior turbinate coblation for treatment of nasal obstruction

OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy of inferior turbinate coblation for the treatment of nasal obstruction. METHODS: Twenty patients awaiting submucosal diathermy to the inferior turbinates were recruited into the study. All underwent inferior turbinate coblation. Pre-operative and post-operative nasal function was investigated using posterior rhinomanometry and subjective symptom scales. RESULTS: There was no significant increase in nasal conductance two weeks after inferior turbinate coblation (p = 0.159). However, three months after inferior turbinate coblation, median nasal conductance had increased significantly, from 203 to 324 cm3/s (p = 0.004). The median increase in nasal conductance was 73 cm3/s or 43.5 per cent. Post-operative visual analogue patients' reported post-operative visual analogue scales scores for nasal obstruction decreased significantly, both two weeks (p = 0.006) and three months after inferior turbinate coblation (p = 0.001) when compared to Pre-operative values. There was no change in the reported severity of rhinorrhoea, nasal itching or sneezing. There was a significant relationship (rho = -0.57, p = 0.014) between pre-operative nasal conductance and change in nasal conductance after inferior turbinate coblation. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms the short-term efficacy of inferior turbinate coblation for the treatment of nasal obstruction. The benefit was greatest in patients with lower pre-operative nasal conductance. Objective measures of nasal obstruction may be important when selecting patients for inferior turbinate coblation.