Nasal Concha Surgery – What is Hypertrophy?

Nasal Concha Surgery – Chronic nasal congestion or nasal congestion is usually caused by enlargement (hypertrophy) of the lower turbinate. Nasal congestion can disrupt normal breathing, force patients to breathe through the mouth, and often affects their daily activities.

Since nasal breathing is the normal respiratory tract during sleep, enlarged turbinates and nasal congestion can also contribute to headaches and sleep disorders such as snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.

Diagnosis of Internal Concha Hypertrophy

Usually, a diagnosis of inferior turbinate hypertrophy can be made at your first visit. After taking your history and performing an exam, we will use an endoscope, a small telescope with a light at one end and a lens at the other, to examine the inside of your nose. The MiniCAT Instant CT scan will also show hypertrophy of the inferior turbinate. If there is a finding that requires Nasal Concha Surgery, it will be shared with you.

Turbine Reduction Treatments

There are several medications that can be used to treat symptoms (mostly congestion) caused by inferior turbinate hypertrophy. These include:

• nasal steroid sprays
• nasal antihistamine sprays
• Oral decongestants
• oral steroids

These medications are designed to help reduce swelling (inflammation) and improve nasal breathing.

If medications aren’t enough, we may need to do a simple procedure to reduce the size of your inferior turbinates.

Turbinoplasty Procedure

A simple operating procedure is performed to remove enlarged (hypertrophic) turbinates. A small stick with a suction device is used to remove excess tissue in the inferior turbinate. The procedure takes only a few minutes, is virtually painless, and results in a dramatic improvement in nasal airflow.

This is often the perfect long-term, durable solution to get patients back to enjoying life!

Sometimes, repetitive sessions may be required in turbinate reduction. Swelling may recur, especially in patients with allergic rhinitis, and the procedure may be repeated after 2 years. Since it is a 15-minute procedure performed under local anesthesia, it usually does not burden the patient.

In addition, this procedure is routinely applied in septoplasty (deviation operation) and rhinoplasty when necessary.

What Are Turbines and What Do They Do?

The turbinates are two spongy curved bones that protrude into the nasal passages. They can be found on both sides of the nasal cavity and are separated by the nasal septum. The turbinates are lined with respiratory epithelium, which covers a thick layer of vascular tissue. There are three turbines, named according to their location: the lower, middle, and upper turbines. The inferior turbinate is the largest and most prone to swelling and obstructing airflow.

The turbinates are responsible for directing the airflow within the nasal cavity. The soft tissue covering them is responsible for humidifying, warming and filtering the inhaled air. It is important to humidify the air so as not to damage the olfactory receptors, which are responsible for the recognition of various odors and smells. The epithelial layer is also the first line of immunological defense to trigger a rapid immune response at signs of microbial or chemical irritation.

What Causes Turbinates to Inflate?

Nasal Concha Surgery – Concha hypertrophy may develop in response to various environmental factors and infections. The mucous membranes covering the turbinates contain numerous blood vessels and easily contract or swell in response to a variety of factors. The turbinates may swell due to allergies, chemical or physical irritations, temperature changes, or acute sinus infections. This creates congestion as the airflow through the nose becomes blocked. These are usually temporary conditions and the turbinates return to their normal size and the person’s congestion is relieved.

Persistent inflammation, allergic reactions, and constant exposure to various environmental irritants can cause chronic swelling of the turbinates. This usually occurs in the inferior turbinates and is called turbinate hypertrophy. This makes it difficult for the person to breathe through their nose. Concha hypertrophy is associated with chronic sinus infections and may result from an untreated deviated septum.

Eliminating the factors that cause irritation of the mucous membranes or treating the underlying allergies with nasal steroid sprays can reduce swelling and improve breathing. However, when this swelling is chronic, surgery may be needed to reduce the size of the inferior turbinates.

How Will My Recovery Be After Concha Reduction Surgery?

Your recovery may vary depending on how much tissue your doctor had to remove and whether your turbinate surgery was combined with another sinus opening procedure, such as balloon sinus dilatation. You will receive specific details during your consultations, but here are some general recovery guidelines.

These procedures usually do not remove the bone, so healing is not overly difficult. You will be stuffy for a few days to a week, but your breathing will probably be better by now. Your reduced turbinates will swell and you’ll likely have yellow or bloody crusts for a week or so. You may have bloody discharge for the first 3-5 days, but this depends on the patient. Patients say that the area is uncomfortable, but they do not describe it as painful. You will get extra strong Tylenol and that will be enough. You should avoid aspirin and NSAIDs such as Motrin, Advil, and Aleve as they can cause bleeding. There may be congestion and you may feel like you have a bad cold.

To aid healing, you need to keep the blood pressure on your face to a minimum. Stay calm for the first week and then gradually increase your activity. Within two weeks, you can exercise as you wish. Most patients only require a few days off after turbinate reduction surgery.

Is Concha Reduction Surgery Safe?

This is a safe procedure. Your doctor uses the most minimally invasive methods for these turbinoplasties. Nasal Concha Surgery – There may be some bleeding and bloody discharge after the surgery, but this can be prevented by using nasal saline spray every 2-3 hours. We will provide you with all the instructions on how to take care of your sinuses after this procedure. This is a very successful, safe procedure.

Can You Reduce Swelling in Turbines Without Turbine Reduction Surgery?

Yes, these are first-line treatment for all of our patients. The non-surgical treatments we use are:

• Nasal or oral steroid sprays
• Nasal or oral antihistamines
• Nasal saline sprays or high volume irrigations
• Oral decongestants (not nasal decongestants, as these can usually allow relapse as soon as the drug is discontinued)

Does This Surgery Make Your Nose Look Different?

No, we do not remove the underlying structural support of your nose, bone and cartilage. This procedure simply removes the excess soft tissue of the inferior turbinate. It does not change the shape of the patient’s nose in any way.

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Türbinatlar: normal ve anormal karşılaştırma