Dilemma of Inferior Turbinate Surgery

Abstract

Back ground and objectives: Inferior turbinate surgery is considered as one of common surgical procedures which performed in rhinology. It is usually done for the purpose of reduction of the bulk of inferior turbinates. It can be conducted for different indication as to relieve the mechanical nasal obstruction due to hypertrophied inferior turbinates, or to achieve a sufficient nasal surgical access during endoscopic sinus surgery, or to remove the inferior turbinates as a part of wide and complete resection of rhino-sinus neoplastic lesions. The inferior turbinates have important role in the maintenance of nasal breathing function via providing the nasal valve mechanism that is necessary for regulation of air flow through the nose. Therefore in spite of availability of well-established variable techniques for this surgery but the main goal of this surgery still yet not completely achieved by preserving the balance in between the mechanical as well as the functional patency of the nose. This can be explained by the effect of different factors which usually difficult to be predicted and controlled.