The Inferior Turbinate in Rhinoplasty

Piezo-Assisted Turbinoplasty: A Novel Rapid and Safe Technique

“…A wide variety of treatment options exist for the management of ITH, indicating a remarkable lack of consensus prevalently due to the corresponding lack of perspective and comparative studies with adequate follow-up, as well as to the multiple variables at play in the assessment of airway function. [1][2][3][4][5][6] Obviously, turbinoplasty is very often performed during rhinoplasty, according to the commonly accepted logic of performing septoplasty together with reduction of the enlarged contralateral ITH. 2,[7][8][9]26 Interestingly, at least among plastic surgeons, conventional methods of turbinate reduction are generally preferred on the use of newer techniques.…”

“…Most studies highlight the importance of bony as well as mucosal contribution to ITH. 2,10 A prevalence of bone versus mucosa enlargement has been demonstrated by several authors. [10][11][12] Patients with septal deviation have compensatory ITH which is mainly due to the expansion of the bone rather than the mucosa.…”

“…Lack of consensus and mixed results are the most striking features when reviewing the existing literature concerning treatment of inferior turbinate hypertrophy (ITH). [1][2][3][4][5][6] This is mostly due to the shortage of perspective, large number, studies with inadequate long-term follow-up, combined with the fact that multiple variables, which cannot be easily evaluated separately, are at play both intraoperatively and in functional assessment postoperatively. A wide variety of medical and surgical alternatives, alone or combined, thus exist in the treatment of ITH, without their efficacy being either measured or proven.…”

“…There is general concert on the rationale to combine septoplasty with turbinoplasty when treating septal deviation. This is done both to reduce hypertrophy of the contralateral turbinate, which expands and "curls" around the deviation, as well as to allow enough space for the septum to be repositioned in the midline 2,[7][8][9] 2. It is well known that both mucosal and bone hypertrophy usually coexist in turbinate hypertrophy.…”

“…This leads to the frequent combination of procedures that treat both mucosa and bone in combination. 2,10 3. There seems to be consensus on the fact that bone matters more, especially in compensatory hypertrophy of the inferior turbinate.…”