Changes in nasal resistance and quality of life after endoscopic microdebrider-assisted inferior turbinoplasty in patients with perennial allergic rhinitis.

OBJECTIVE To assess objective and subjective outcomes in patients with perennial allergic rhinitis who had undergone endoscopic microdebrider-assisted inferior turbinoplasty. DESIGN Prospective study. SETTING Tertiary referral center. PATIENTS Fifty patients with perennial allergic rhinitis who had substantial mucosal hypertrophy of the inferior turbinates and who underwent endoscopic microdebrider-assisted inferior turbinoplasty with follow-up 1 year after surgery. INTERVENTION A newly designed microdebrider blade incorporated with an elevator was used to perform this procedure in the clinical setting with the patient under local anesthesia and with 30 degrees endoscopic guidance. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Both objective outcome evaluated by total nasal resistance at anterior rhinomanometry and subjective outcome assessed with the Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire were analyzed before and 1 year after surgery. RESULTS The median total nasal resistance in 50 patients decreased from 0.45 Pa/cm(3) per second preoperatively to 0.28 Pa/cm(3) per second 1 year postoperatively, a statistically significant difference (P<.001). Compared with preoperative scores, the postoperative scores of these patients significantly improved in both 7 separate domain scores and overall Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire scores (P<.005). CONCLUSION Our results suggest that endoscopic microdebrider-assisted inferior turbinoplasty is effective for decreasing nasal resistance and improving quality of life in patients with perennial allergic rhinitis who have substantial nasal congestion.