title: Prediction of outcome of radiofrequency ablation of the inferior turbinates.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of the turbinates is used commonly for nasal obstruction; however, there is no consensus on patient selection for this surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a prospective clinical study, 53 adult subjects with bilateral turbinate hypertrophy were evaluated subjectively and objectively with anterior rhinomanometry at baseline and at 1, 3, and 6 months post-RFA of turbinates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  RFA of the turbinates resulted in a significant decrease in predecongestant and postdecongestant visual analogue scale (VAS) scores and resistance measurements at postoperative months 1, 3, and 6 (p < 0.001 for all). Preoperative baseline subjective response to the decongestant showed a positive correlation with postoperative first month subjective and objective outcome (p < 0.05). Preoperative baseline objective response to the decongestant showed a highly significant correlation with postoperative 1-month, 3-month, and 6-month objective outcomes of surgery (p < 0.05 for all).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Objective measures do not correlate with long-term subjective satisfaction even when the nose is objectively patent in subjects who underwent inferior turbinate RFA. The patients' long-term subjective benefit from RFA surgery cannot be estimated after a rhinomanometry with topical decongestion is performed. Performing a rhinomanometry with topical decongestion may help only to estimate the patients' objective benefit from RFA surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Umraniye Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Asli
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sahin-Yilmaz
authors.forename: Çağatay
authors.initials: Ç
authors.lastname: Oysu
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Devecioglu
authors.forename: Kadri
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Demir
authors.forename: Jacquelynne P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Corey
mesh_terms: D000287:Administration, Topical; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006984:Hypertrophy / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D014663:Nasal Decongestants / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015508:Nasal Obstruction / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D025363:Rhinomanometry; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014420:Turbinates / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D064232:Visual Analog Scale; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014663:Nasal Decongestants
keywords: inferior turbinate hypertrophy; nasal objective evaluation; nasal obstruction; nonallergic rhinitis; radiofrequency ablation; rhinomanometry; turbinate surgery; visual analogue scale