Comparison of Submucosal Diathermy and Partial Inferior Turbinectomy

Introduction: Nasal obstruction is one among the most common presenting complaints of patients. The most common etiology for nasal obstruction is hypertrophy of the inferior turbinates due to allergic rhinitis or vasomotor rhinitis. The hypertrophy is almost always due to dilatation of the venous sinusoids resulting in swelling of the submucosal layer. Objectives: To compare the results between submucosal diathermy (SMD) and partial inferior turbinectomy (PIT) in terms of post-operative bleeding, nasal crust formation, vestibular skin burn, pain, synechiae formation, and atrophic rhinitis. Materials and Methods: A prospective observational study involving 60 patients with inferior turbinate hypertrophy was done at Sree Gokulam Medical College, TVM from January 2014 to June 2015. Patients were randomly divided into two groups; Group A, underwent SMD and Group B underwent PIT. Post-operative follow-up done at day 1, 1 week, 1 month and 3 months. Results: Occurrence of post-operative reactionary hemorrhage on day 1 was 43.3% in PIT, whereas it was only 10% in SMD. Nasal crust formation was 6.7% in PIT at the end of 3 months while none who underwent SMD had crust formation at the end of 3 months. Vestibular skin burn was observed in 3.3% of SMD patients. 6.7% had nasal pain following PIT while none of the SMD patients had the same. Remote complications such as synechiae and atrophic rhinitis were not reported in either PIT or SMD during the assessment time period. Conclusion: SMD is relatively safe and less invasive than PIT but its effectiveness compared to PIT is short lived. In the long run, PIT was found to be more effective.