History and Evolution of Turbinate Reduction and Outfracture

www.PRSJournal.com 607e Turbinate hypertrophy is a common cause of nasal airway obstruction encountered in rhinoplasty patients.1 The inferior turbinate contributes to the posterior border of the internal nasal valve, and turbinate hypertrophy is commonly implicated in nasal airflow obstruction.2 All causes of nasal airway obstruction—including turbinate hypertrophy—must be recognized and addressed at the time of rhinoplasty surgery to prevent postoperative nasal airway obstruction.3–7 Mucosal turbinate hypertrophy is typically bilateral, is secondary to environmental or autogenic causes, and is usually responsive to medical management. Conversely, bony turbinate hypertrophy is typically unilateral, and develops as a physiologic compensatory response to changes in nasal airway flow—classically from a deviated septum.8 All patients with bony hypertrophy are candidates for surgical correction, as are patients with mucosal hypertrophy that do not respond adequately to medical therapy.