The results of a comparative randomized study of the effectiveness of various methods for the correction of the nasal valve: the objective evaluation

Abstract

The present comparative randomized controlled study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the most widely used methods for the surgical treatment of nasal valve dysfunction including sutural extension of the valve, stretching the lateral nasal wall in combination with the application of strengthening transplants, and the introduction of tissue expanders. The objective studies were carried out with the use of anterior active rhinomanometry and acoustic rhinometry performed within 1, 3, and 12 months after surgery. It was shown that the correction of dysfunction of the nasal valve with the application of expanding transplants is the most effective method for the normalization of the parameters of nasal breathing during the mid- and long-term follow up. Plastic surgery with the use of local tissues produces a less pronounced but stable beneficial effect whereas the sutural extension of the valve yields only short-term positive results. On the whole, the effectiveness of the latter approach is inferior to that of the former two methods.