Radiofrequency surgery, better known as turbinoplasty, is a technique of otorhinolaryngology and aims to reshape the inferior turbinates, which are located inside the nose, to improve the patient’s breathing.
Radiofrequency is used to reduce the volume of the turbinates. It is a form of electromagnetic energy that, when applied by means of an electrode to the structures of the nose, produces an increase in the temperature of the tissues, with minimal damage to nearby structures. After a few days, the volume of the intervened tissues is reduced.
The turbinates are structures formed by a sheet of bone and surrounded by blood vessels covered by nasal mucosa. Their function is to humidify, filter and warm the air that passes through our nose. Occasionally, turbinates can become larger than normal (hypertrophy), altering respiratory functions.
Turbinate hypertrophy generates nasal obstruction in patients who present it, forcing the patient to breathe through the mouth, especially at night or when asleep, generating other symptoms such as dry mouth, snoring or sleep apnea syndrome. The enlargement of the turbinates may be due to various factors including allergy and most rhinitis.
Surgical intervention
The surgery is performed through the nostrils under local anesthesia and on an outpatient basis. In most cases, it does not require nasal packing or this is minimal and it is not necessary to remove it because it is eliminated by itself. The procedure consists of inserting a bipolar probe in the turbinate and applying radiofrequency in each turbinate.
The complications of this type of surgery are minimal, since it does not injure the nasal mucosa. Bleeding may occur and a nasal packing may be necessary. Synechiae – flanges between the walls of the nasal fossa and the nasal septum – may also appear, which may require their section in a second operative time.
After the operation, the patient should rest for the first few days and wash with saline solutions to clean the scabs from the scar.