title: CO2 laser anterior turbinectomy in the treatment of non-allergic vasomotor rhinopathia. A prospective study upon 78 patients.
abstract: Preliminary results obtained in the treatment of non-allergic vasomotor rhinopathia by CO2 laser are presented. A group of 78 subjects, 35 males and 43 females, aged 18-48 years, mean age 27.6 years, were followed: subjective assessment of nasal breathing quality, anterior rhinomanometry, cytologic findings and saccharine test of nasal clearance. The parameters were observed preoperatively and after surgery. A 400 CO2 Surgical Laser Coherent Medical was used (power density, 140 w/cm2). The beam was applied upon the upper medial quadrant of the head of inferior turbinate by a continuous pulse (7-10 sec) through a Carl Zeiss surgical microscope, at a 10x magnification and focal length of 400 mm. The mean preoperative values of the anterior rhinomanometry were 0.669 and 0.851 Pa sec/ccs for inspiration and expiration, respectively. After the surgery, the mean values were even better, i.e. 0.361 Pa sec/ccs for inspiration, and 0.456 Pa sec/ccs for expiration. The morphological and functional conditions of nasal mucosa were also examined. The former was evaluated using cytologic smears of the nasal mucosa layer, and the latter by the saccharine test of nasal clearance. Normal cytologic findings were found preoperatively in 87% of all cases studied. Saccharine test was normal in 67% of cases. After laser surgery, the cytologic findings and saccharine test results were normal in 92% and 89% of cases, respectively. The subjective patients' assessment of nasal patency pointed to obvious success in 41 out 45 subjects treated.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of O.R.L., Zagreb University School of Medicine, Yugoslavia.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mladina
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Risavi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Subaric
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012223:Rhinitis, Vasomotor / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D014420:Turbinates / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*