Effects of radiofrequency thermal ablation on the nasal cycle measured using rhinomanometry.

OBJECTIVE

This study was designed to research the effects of radiofrequency thermal ablation (RFTA) surgery on the nasal cycle, with anterior rhinomanometry being used for assessment.

METHODS

Thirty patients with inferior concha hypertrophy and 13 healthy volunteers were included in this study. An anterior rhinomanometry was performed on each of the patients before surgery and at 1 month and 6 months after surgery, and on the volunteers in the control group, simultaneously.

RESULTS

Nineteen of the 30 patients and 8 of the 13 healthy participants showed a distinct type of nasal cycle at different periods of measurement. The mean of the total nasal airflow of the patients was lower before RFTA surgery but increased at a rate of 71.07%, closer to the value of the control group, after RFTA surgery. After RFTA, the unilateral nasal airflow (fmin and fmax) values increased at ratios of 22.36% and 94.44%, respectively. The amplitude (fmax-fmin) showed a statistically significant decrease in the postoperative period (108.43 ± 54.37), when compared with that of the preoperative period (202.80 ± 81.24) (P < .01).

CONCLUSION

We conclude that the RFTA is a useful method for treating inferior concha hypertrophy, because it positively affects the nasal physiology, increasing the total nasal airflow without changing the nasal cycle time.