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Laser inferior turbinectomy under local anaesthetic: a well tolerated out-patient procedure

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 February 2007

S Maskell
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Frimley Park Hospital, Camberley, UK
N Eze
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Frimley Park Hospital, Camberley, UK
P Patel
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Frimley Park Hospital, Camberley, UK
A Hosni
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Frimley Park Hospital, Camberley, UK

Abstract

The suitability of performing laser inferior turbinectomy under local anaesthesia in an out-patient setting was assessed, regarding its effectiveness and patients' toleration of the procedure. Prospective data collection was undertaken from 129 patients undergoing laser inferior turbinectomy over four years. Patients were assessed, pre-operatively, operatively and at two weeks and three months post-operatively, for pain, complications and symptoms, using the sino-nasal assessment questionnaire.

All patients had hypertrophied inferior turbinates. Ninety-eight patients complained of nasal obstruction and 67 had the procedure as part of treatment for snoring. One hundred and twenty-one of the patients had treatment to both inferior turbinates. There were no cases of intra-operative haemorrhage. The average pre-operative sino-nasal assessment questionnaire score was 18.22, which improved to 10.68 at the three month post-operative assessment (p<0.001). Five patients had significant intra-operative pain.

This study shows that laser inferior turbinectomy under local anaesthesia is well tolerated and that good results can be achieved when performing the procedure in the out-patient department.

Type
Main Articles
Copyright
2007 JLO (1984) Limited

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Footnotes

Presented as a free paper at the 12th British Academic Conference on Otolaryngology and ENT Expo, 7 July 2006, Birmingham, UK.