A Prospective, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study of Inferior Turbinate Surgery

Objectives/Hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to compare radiofrequency ablation, diode laser, and microdebrider-assisted inferior turbinoplasty techniques in the treatment of chronic nasal obstruction caused by inferior turbinate enlargement, and to compare these techniques with a placebo procedure. Study Design: Prospective, randomized, single-blinded, placebo-controlled study. Methods: A total of 98 consecutive patients with enlarged inferior turbinates due to persistent year-round rhinitis were randomized into a placebo, radiofrequency ablation, diode laser, and microdebrider-assisted inferior turbinoplasty groups in a ratio of 1:2:2:2. All the procedures were carried out under local anesthesia with the patients' eyes covered. Assessments were conducted prior to surgery and 3 months subsequent to the surgery. Results: The severity of nasal obstruction measured by visual analog scale score decreased statistically significantly in all the groups, including placebo. Radiofrequency ablation (P=.03), diode laser (P=.02), and microdebrider-assisted inferior turbinoplasty (P=.04) all decreased the symptom score of the severity of nasal obstruction statistically significantly more compared to the placebo procedure. Conclusions: The placebo effect had a large role in the overall improvement of the severity of nasal obstruction after the inferior turbinate surgery. However, all three techniques provided a statistically significant additional reduction of the severity of nasal obstruction compared to the placebo procedure.