title: Symptoms treatment for allergic rhinitis using diode laser: results after 6-year follow-up.
abstract: Allergic rhinitis is a very common chronic disease. The purpose of this study was to measure the outcome of treating allergic rhinitis with diode laser, over a long-term follow-up of 6 years. Forty-two consecutive patients with newly diagnosed allergic rhinitis that was refractive to conservative medical therapies were enrolled in the study. Treatment was with a diode laser (wavelength 805 nm, laser parameter 12 W, in 'contact' mode) under local anesthesia between September 1999 and May 2000. A quality of life questionnaire was used after a follow-up period of 6 years to assess the outcome of diode laser surgery. All 42 patients suffered from either perennial or persistent-type allergic rhinitis. Twenty-five out of 42 patients (60%) replied to the questionnaire 6 years after laser surgery. The mean operation time was 1 min 28 s for each patient. No complications were observed (e.g., major bleeding), and no nasal packing was necessary. Statistical analysis revealed significant improvements in symptom score, medication score and total score 6 years after laser surgery. A total of 60% of the patients described improvements in symptom scores, and 68% of the patients described improvements in total score 6 years after laser treatment. It was evident that the effectiveness of laser surgery persisted through the 6 years of follow-up. Long-term follow-up after 6 years confirmed that diode laser surgery for allergic rhinitis is a useful procedure that has a long-lasting effect and can be performed in an outpatient surgery under local anesthesia. Minimal discomfort, long-term effectiveness and short operation time are other reasons why this treatment should be selected for patients with allergic rhinitis that is refractive to conservative management.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Changhua Christian Hospital, 135 Nanhsiao St., Changhua, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yao-Lung
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Chin-Chuan
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Hong-Shen
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hui-Chuan
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Mu-Kuan
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D054023:Lasers, Semiconductor / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life; D012008:Recurrence; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult