Abstract
Objective: Evaluate the role of turbinate reduction during rhinoplasty in quality-of-life outcomes and nasal airway cross-sectional area.
Method: Adults with nasal obstruction, functional and aesthetics primary rhinoseptoplasty candidates were randomized to rhinoseptoplasty with or without inferior turbinate reduction. Study was conducted from December 2010 through January 2011 at the facial plastic clinic of a tertiary center in Brazil. Changes in Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) and WHOQOL-bref scores and acoustic rhinometry (AR) were assessed.
Results: Fifty were included, mainly Caucasians with moderate/severe allergic rhinitis symptoms. Mean age was 32 ± 12 years. Baseline characteristics were similar between groups. Rhinoseptoplasty improved specific and general quality-of-life scores irrespective of turbinate intervention group (P < .001). There was no difference in relative change of NOSE score (–75% vs –73%; P = .893); WHOQOL-bref score domains (Physical: 7% vs 6% [P = .10]; Psychological: 6% vs 7% [P = .158]; Social: 0% vs 0% [P = .99]; Environment 7% vs 5% [P = .77]), NO-VAS (–88% vs –81%; P = .89), and all AR recordings (P > .05) between turbinate reduction and no turbinate reduction groups, respectively.
Conclusion: Turbinate reduction during primary rhinoplasty did not improve short-term general and specific quality-of-life outcomes or acoustic rhinometry recordings.
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