Inferior turbinate reduction

The inferior turbinate is an important structure serving a vital role in nasal physiology. However, inferior turbinate enlargement can lead to decreased nasal airflow and a sensation of nasal obstruction. Chronic nasal obstruction can substantially affect quality of life, productivity, and finances, and when medical therapies fail, surgical management is often recommended. Many techniques for inferior turbinate reduction exist, including outfracturing, submucosal soft tissue reduction (ie, electrocautery, radiofrequency coblation, and powered microdebrider), submucosal bone removal, argon plasma coagulation, laser reduction, partial turbinectomy, and total turbinectomy. These techniques have demonstrated varied long-term results, and there remains a lack of consensus as to the optimal surgical technique. However, given the important role the inferior turbinates play in nasal physiology, many contemporary surgeons aim to strike a balance between adequate tissue resection for symptom improvement and preservation of functional turbinate tissue and its contribution to normal nasal physiology.