Radiofrequency turbinate reduction surgery

The turbinates are air-filtering structures located in the nose. They perform the functions of humidifying the air that reaches the lungs, filtering the air we breathe and warming the air to improve our respiratory quality.

But the functions of this formation can be altered by various factors such as, for example, allergies, colds or lifestyle habits (smoking or alcohol intake), leading to hypertrophy of the turbinates or rhinitis. These problems cause you to feel nasal obstruction or rhinorrhoea (clear or whitish mucus that forces you to constantly blow your nose).

This leads to secondary symptoms such as headaches, difficulty breathing through the nose that forces you to breathe through the mouth, obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome, pharyngitis, as well as sinusitis and headaches.

One of the most effective options to solve the symptoms of turbinate hypertrophy is Radiofrequency Turbinoplasty. This surgery aims to reduce the size of the turbinates, improving nasal breathing and eliminating the annoying symptoms. It is an outpatient surgery, very simple and with a high success rate in its results.

The turbinates are composed of bone in their central part, surrounded by multiple blood vessels and lined by nasal mucosa. Their function is to filter, warm and moisten the air passing through the nose. They also help to prolong inspiration time, allowing more time for air to remain in the lungs and for blood to extract oxygen.

On the lateral walls of the nose there are three turbinates on both sides: upper, middle and lower turbinates, the latter being the most important from a clinical point of view. The inferior turbinates act as filters to purify and warm the cold air entering the nose.

As they are more exposed than the deeper turbinates, the inferior turbinates strain their functions and become dilated or hypertrophic, due to an increase in the blood vessels supplying them.

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The abnormal growth of the inferior turbinates results in chronic nasal obstruction, preventing normal airflow.

If you have this condition, it can be due to a number of circumstances, although it is most commonly caused by allergies and colds.

However, the causes of enlarged turbinates also include hormonal disorders, smoking, alcohol consumption or if you suffer from acute or chronic sinusitis. You may also develop it as a result of a deviated septum (the bone that forms the nose) or as a side effect of drug treatments.

If you have this problem associated with discomfort that makes it difficult for you to lead a normal life, it is very likely that Turbinoplasty is advisable.

Before deciding whether or not to have surgery, you should request a free and immediate consultation, with our ENT specialist through the Operarme website, so that you can meet him/her in a face-to-face consultation and he/she can assess whether or not the intervention is indicated, deciding together the best option for your case.

We recommend that you bring diagnostic tests to the assessment consultation.

After requesting a consultation through the website, one of our personal patient care advisors will call you to confirm the date of the consultation and answer any questions you may have. However, you can also request information at any time by calling at +34 91 141 33 56 or using the contact form.

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On the day of the appointment, after the appropriate introductions, the doctor will review the reports you provide and will conduct a medical interview about the discomfort caused by turbinate hypertrophy. 

He or she will also perform an examination of the area in order to familiarise himself or herself with your case, making a more accurate diagnosis and determining the most appropriate treatment for you.

During this consultation, he or she will explain to you what radiofrequency turbinate surgery consists of and will try to answer any questions you may have about it. Do not hesitate to ask the doctor any questions you may have about the operation or the state of the pathology, so that you can make the right decision.

In the event that you and the specialist decide that you are going to have surgery, the date of the operation can be set during the same consultation. In any case, our patient care team will contact you and manage the whole process, preoperative, admission date, consultations... guiding you and helping you throughout the whole process.

As for any surgical intervention, a preoperative study must be performed during which you will undergo the following tests:

• Blood tests: to rule out signs of infection or other information that could complicate the operation.
• Chest x-ray: this test helps to rule out respiratory problems and is usually performed only when the specialist deems it necessary.
• Electrocardiogram: allows the specialist to know the health of your heart.

Radiofrequency turbinate surgery is performed under local anaesthesia. 

The anaesthetist applies a topical anaesthetic through the nostrils using an impregnated gauze and infiltrates a local anaesthetic into the turbinates to achieve insensitivity in the area to be operated on, as well as to reduce bleeding during the surgery.

In some cases, endotracheal sedation is required, with the specialist deciding the type of anaesthesia based on the patient's characteristics. 

It is important that you resolve your doubts during the surgical assessment consultation with the specialist, both about the anaesthesia and the turbinate surgery itself.

Radiofrequency turbinate surgery is a painless procedure that is performed on an outpatient basis, i.e. you can go home the same day as the operation without the need for hospitalisation. Below we explain how the day of the surgery will go:

When you arrive at the hospital, you must hand in the necessary documentation at the admissions desk. 

Our patient service team will have explained everything about this, so don't worry. After that, you will be escorted to the operating theatre area where you will be asked to undress and get dressed in your surgical clothes.

Once you are ready, you will be taken to the operating theatre where you will meet the surgeon with whom you had your consultation, the anaesthetist and a member of the nursing team. 

Once you are on the operating table, the surgery will begin:

• You will be given a local anaesthetic to numb the area.
• After the anaesthesia has taken effect, the surgeon will insert the tip of a terminal (with a needle tip) through the nostrils and puncture the head (front part) of the inferior turbinate.
• The tip is connected to a radiofrequency device that transmits energy to the turbinate tissue to reduce the volume of the turbinates, making room for air to enter through the nostrils.
• Once the size of the turbinates has been reduced, the surgeon will remove the instrument from the nasal cavity and you will be taken to the recovery room to recover from the anaesthesia.
• Once you have recovered from the effects of the anaesthesia and the surgeon has checked that everything has gone well, you can leave the hospital.

The radiofrequency turbinate surgery lasts approximately 15-20 minutes.

After surgery, you will spend some time in the post-surgical ward until you have fully recovered from the anaesthesia.

Once at home, the postoperative period is quick and simple. For proper recovery, you will need to wash your nose with saline solution or saline water to promote healing and keep the treated area clean.

In addition to dressing and washing the operated area, it is important during the first few days after surgery to avoid physical exercise, intense heat (saunas, very hot showers, etc.) and taking aspirin. This will prevent the most frequent complication of this procedure, nosebleeds.

Full recovery is usually achieved 10-15 days after surgery, although in most cases the improvement is noticeable after a few days.

The most important advantage of radiofrequency turbinate surgery is the improvement in quality of life thanks to the complete elimination of the discomfort and limitations caused by turbinate hypertrophy. 

This surgery makes it possible to eliminate problems such as nasal inflammation, headaches or persistent dry cough.

Complications in this type of treatment are very rare, as intraoperative or postoperative infections occur very rarely, as do sensations of pain or intense bleeding during healing.

The cost of the Radiofrequency turbinate surgery is 3.990 €, which includes everything necessary to carry out the turbinate operation as safely as possible.

This price includes the following services:

• Pre-operative study
• Stay in private hospital with accompanying bed
• Use of operating theatre
• Anaesthesiologist, surgeon and nursing team fees
• Necessary medication, surgical instruments,
• Post-operative follow-up visits, etc.

If you would like more information about the cost of the surgery, what is included or any other aspect related to the intervention, please contact our Patient Service Team through the contact form.

You can also request a free assessment consultation with our specialists by clicking in the button below:

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