Radiofrequency ablation in the treatment of inferior turbinate hypertrophy

Abstract

Background: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is an established treatment for nasal obstruction in the US and the UK, however, is not actively offered as a treatment option in Australia. This paper assessed RFA as an alternative to surgical intervention in the treatment of inferior turbinate hypertrophy (ITH) in Australia. Patient reported outcomes were collected using the subjective clinical assessment tool, the Sino-Nasal Outcome Tool (SNOT 22) to quantify clinical symptoms. Methods: This was a retrospective, single-centre, pre-post intervention observational study of 189 patients treated with RFA. Data were collected on symptoms during patient visits at the ENT clinic using the SNOT 22 tool at baseline and then 1 month and 6 months after RFA treatment. Ninety-eight adult participants with nasal obstruction refractory to medical management who were treated with RFA were included in the SNOT 22 analysis. The results from this tool were subdivided into rhinology scores, and overall clinical scores and quantified using a minimal clinically important difference (MCID) (9 points) to assess significance. Results: Of the 189 participants observed who underwent RFA treatment, only 13 progressed to surgical intervention. A clinically and statistically significant (P<0.05) improvement in SNOT scores was observed 1 month after RFA treatment. Conclusions: RFA offers a clinically effective and at least a short-term economical alternative to surgical treatment of nasal blockage in Australia.