2011 Volume 50 Issue 1 Pages 7-12
For a period of about 25 years, laser surgery of the inferior turbinate has been considered a simple and effective surgical treatment with a low complication rate and has been used widely by many ENT surgeons throughout Japan. In the present study, we assessed the clinical efficacy of carbon dioxide laser treatment for a period of up to 5 years. Treatments were performed on an outpatient basis in up to three consecutive sessions under local anesthesia. Outcome was evaluated by daily nasal symptom reports and patient interviews according to the Practical Guidelines for the Management of Allergic Rhinitis in Japan, 2009. Six months after treatment, all the nasal symptoms and total severity had remarkably improved in all the patients. At a 5-year follow-up examination, the effectiveness of the treatment for nasal sneezing, discharge, obstruction, and total severity had persisted in 48.5%, 54.3%, 62.7%, and 40% of the patients, respectively. The decrease in the mean symptom score for nasal obstruction remained unchanged during the follow-up period. Altogether, 71.4% of the patients after 6 months and 65.7% of the patients after 5 years showed a stable non-medicated condition without adversely compromising their nasal symptoms during their daily life. The results of the present study substantiate our previous conclusion that laser surgery is an effective treatment for allergic patients refractory to medication.
